His Endurance
by Ritsuka-chan1092
Summary: Ryoma is injured during a match and is unable to continue his tennis career! He suddenly disappears from the world of tennis; four years later, a man named Ryou appears. Who is he? Read to find out more
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Hello again everyone :DDDD I am here with a new story for Prince of Tennis! I think this one should be very interesting, to me at least lol, yeah I admit I love reading as I write xDD. Sometimes I feel so conceited when I think my story is interesing, lol I think what I am trying to say is that I enjoy writing it ^o^' Anyway~ I hope you enjoy this story.**

**Ryoma X Fuji paring later on**

**Plot: His Endurance- Ryoma Echizen is injured in a match in America, he hurts his knee and is unable to continue to play tennis. He completely vanishes from his friends' lives. Later on, everyone is in college and a new guy re appears, he is studying to become a coach. It just so happens this guy looks like Ryoma, but a taller and more handsome version, it is Ryoma! But he denies all who says he is Ryoma, he now goes by Ryou. A high school reunion comes up and he decides to attend because his mother forces him to, saying it could help get his career back. He goes to it and see's his old friends a team, but nobody realizes it is him because he has changed so much. They remember a small kid who wore a white cap, but this is the new Ryoma, who has given up on his dream, once his friends later on discover his old identity, they try to help him. Can the old team get Ryoma to realize his dream once more?**

**Chapter 1**

_Five more minutes, just five more minutes, thats all he needed to win. His leg was hurting so bad, but he knew he could make it, he had to make it! This would determine he was the best in the world! FIVE MORE MINUTES! He swung his racket in determination, he pushed forward to his long awaited goal. He returned the ball splendidly, but was slowly faltering. Four minutes to go...three...two! He then felt a white hot pain in his leg and fell forward and laid there writhing in pain and holding his leg, thank god it wasn't a live game. He hissed in pain as he was rushed off the court and to the hospital where his doctor broke the news to him...no more tennis...those words rung in his head like the bell of the last school day of the year did. The last. _

_That was the last time Ryoma Echizen was seen. After that day, he dissapeared from the world as if he didn't exist...where could he be. He left all his friends behind. They knew nothing of what happened...where are you Ryoma!_

_~Four years later~_

Ryoma sighed as he walked down the streets of New York. He didn't stop at any of them, he felt it wasn't neccisary to do any useless actions. He used to be a cheeky small fry, but now he felt as if his spirit had been broken.

He stopped playing tennis four years ago...since the accident, since the day they told him he would never play again. Ever since that day it seemed as if a switch had turned off inside Ryoma's soul. Without tennis he felt useless, but he figured it was time to do something else in his life. He couldn't just mope around, so he decided to completely erase tennis from his heart and mind. Never again would he bring such thoughts back only to make him depressed.

Ryoma returned to his apartment and packed his bags and sighed and reached inside the drawer beside his bed and pulled out a passport. He opened it up to view a younger verison of himself. It had japanese characters written on it indicating he was from Japan.

He closed it up and shoved it into his coat pocket. He turned and threw his bag over his shoulder and then opened the door and turned one last time and looked at his apartment before turning off the light and closed the door for the last time.

Ryoma walked down to the lobby and walked over to the desk.

The guy behind the counter looked at him wide-eyed. "You are-" he began, but was soon cut off by Ryoma.

"I am Ryou Fujiwara." he said and tossed the key on the desk and then turned and walked out.

The guy at the counter watched him leave with a sad expression on his face. "A lost star." he mumbled and hung the key up and got back to work.

Ryoma walked down the street and wore sunglasses and a hat to hide his identitiy. He has been hiding under disguises since the accident those four years ago. He couldn't bear the humilation. It was the first time he actually was okay with the option of running away.

"Coward." he spat to himself bitterly and walked inside the airport. He walked over to the counter and looked at the woman at the counter and sighed. "A ticket to Tokyo, Japan." he said.

She looked at him like he was suspicous because of his glasses and hat.

"What, have you never seen someone where a hat and sunglasses before, I don't have all day ma'am." he said and pulled out some money and bought his ticket.

She blushed at her pause and then put the money in the box behind the desk and gave him his ticket.

Ryoma sighed and waved as he went over and sat down in the waiting area. He closed his eyes and thought about what exactly he was going to do when he returned to Japan...the only thing...well person in his mind at the moment was...Fuji Shunsuke.

He listened as he heard the intercom announce his flight had arrived. He groaned as he stood up and then headed to the boarding line. He stood in line and went through the metal detecters and he showed them his passport and headed inside.

He sat down in his seat next to an young woman with blonde hair, american he assumed. She was a very beautiful woman. Little did Ryoma know that this woman would soon interfere with his life.

Ryoma sat down and took off his hat and glasses and watched the television that was on the plane. The plane took of a half an hour later and the sky grew dark as the plane headed towards Japan.

The woman beside him finally woke up and blinked and looked at him with sleepy eyes. She then cleared her eyes and looked at him more clearly and her face lit up and she inwardly laughed and then cleared her throat.

Ryoma heard her attempt to grasp his attention, but he ignored it, which made her a little upset. She cleared her throat again and decided to speak up.

"Hello, my name is Laura." she said in a very feminine voice.

Ryoma turned to her. "Hi." he mumbled and then turned back to the t.v.

Laura blinked and cleared her throat once more and scooted closer to Ryoma. "What is your name, I haven't seen you around in New York before, but it seems like we've met." he said.

Ryoma glanced at her and then back at the t.v, "Ryou." he said, quick and to the point.

Laura sat back and blinked. "Um, great. So Ryou, are you japanese?" she asked.

Ryoma looked at her. _'This woman is irritating.'_ he thought. He sighed and then turned to her.

"Yes I am, are you american?" he asked with light sarcasm in his voice.

Laura sat back and sighed. "I can see your not much of a talker, you know it is healthy to talk to a woman every once in awhile, Ryoma Echizen." she said.

Ryoma jerked his head and looked at her. "How did yo-" he began but was cut off.

"I know these things. I was once a tennis player for the girl's team, plus I watched your matches." she said. "What happened to you? You just dissapeared all of a sudden four years ago." she asked.

Ryoma turned away from her once again. "Nothing, I just got tired of playing." he mumbled.

Laura sighed. "Your lying. I can tell it by looking into your eyes and watching the way you move around. You love tennis, I saw it when you played. You can't full my woman instincts. I know you adore tennis. I know you will go back one day." she said and looked out the window.

Ryoma glanced at her and then sighed. "No, I will not. I'm tired of tennis." he said again, this time with more aggitation.

Laura crossed her silky legs and crossed her arms. "No you aren't...anyway, what are you planning on doing besides playing tennis?" she asked. "Not trying to pry, just interested." she said smiling at him with her dark red lips.

Ryoma slumped in his seat. "Why do you ask so many questions?" he asked.

"It's simple...to get answers." she said.

Ryoma looked at her. He admired her determination, so he figured he'd give her what she wanted.

"I am going back to Japan to attend University." he mumbled.

Laura turned slightly so that she could face him more properly. She leaned forward with interest.

"Really? What are you planning on studying?" she asked.

Ryoma watched t.v as he answered her ongoing questions. "I am going to be a Physical Education teacher, a coach." he said.

Laura smiled and looked at him. "Let me guess, you are going to coach tennis?"she asked.

Ryoma shook his head. "No...I told you I am done with that whole entire sport, everything about it, I am going to teach indoor sports." he said. "Like Basketball, ping-pong, volleyball, and some outdoor sports like soccer and badmitton, and that is all." he said.

Laura sighed and sat back in her seat and looked out her window. "You know...there are a lot of fans that miss your presence on the court...myself included." she said and took out a pencil and paper and began to write down the discussion that she had with Ryoma. She was a journalist, sent to find Ryoma Echizen and bring him back to the world of tennis. She was really shocked at how her luck played.

Ryoma laid back his seat a little and placed a black cap over his face and rested his head on his arms. He managed to doze off now that Laura had stopped talking and was busy writing who-knows-what, he could really care less.

Laura looked up from her work a few moments later to Ryoma's soft snoring. She bit her lip and looked down at the bag beside Ryoma. _'This is my chance...maybe there is something in there that will explain why he quit tennis! This could be my final chance to prove to my boss that I can bring in the big scoops!'_ she thought.

Laura quietly sat her pencil and paper down and scooted over to Ryoma as quietly as she could. She made sure her knees didn't hit the seat and that she didn't breathe to heavily on him. She carefully slid his bag over to her and she unzipped it quietly and looked through it's contents.

She looked through it and found a photograph of him standing with 8 other boys. They were all smiling, but a short boy in the front was giving a cheeky grin. She smiled and put the picture aside and dug deeper where she found an old tennis ball with a little drawing of a chibi version of his face that Sakuno had drawn for him. She found his old tennis uniform from middle school.

"He still has some fight in him...I know he does." she whispered.

She dug deeper and found an envelope. It looked like it was from a doctor's office. She carefully opened it up and pulled out the papers and looked through them. She held in a gasp as she read it carefully twice, and then again...and then once more. She put the papers back in the envelope and put his bag back like it was and then sat back in her seat unable to speak.

_'He was injured...and is unable to play tennis.'_ she thought.

Laura picked up her pencil and paper and began to write some more. She glanced at Ryoma and then closed up her journal and sat back and looked out the window. She would wait before she turned it in...she need proof. Her project would soon be complete.

**A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter comming soon~! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Hello again! I am sooooo happy that this story has started off well! I have gotten many reviews! Thank you so much for your reviews! It really makes me happy, and those who have reviewed I would be so greatful if you continued reviewing as the story goes along, don't be afraid to sugest some things to me, I am open to opinions! :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second chapter~!**

**Chapter 2**

Ryoma stirred and woke up and yawned and stretched. He glanced over at Laura, who was writing something in her notebook. He sighed and bent down to tie his shoe, that's when he noticed his bag was slightly turned and wasn't how he had it before he fell asleep.

He sat back up after tying his shoe and eyed his bag. He then sat back and shrugged slightly. _'I must have moved around some.'_he thought to himself.

Laura relaxed and exhaled slightly, she thought she had been so busted. She wouldn't expect no less from the famous Ryoma. She knew that if he really investigated the bag and thought about it deeply, then he'd knew that it had been tampered with. She looked at him and saw that he was still half asleep and wouldn't think to give a second thought of rechecking it. A small smile formed on her red lips.

Ryoma watched the t.v, it broadcasting the Japan tennis matches that were going on between the colleges today. He watched as the screen done a close up on one of the players and he sat up quickly and looked at the screen with knowing eyes, it was his former captain Tezuka.

"Is something wrong?" Laura asked and looked at Ryoma.

Ryoma turned to her and then back to the screen and sat back in his seat again. "No...he looks like someone I know, but it isn't." he lied.

Laura frowned as Ryoma's face went back to a expressionless straight face. _'He rarely smiled when he won to.'_ she thought.

Ryoma watched as the match went off and of course, Tezuka won. Ryoma slipped up and let a smirk spread across his face.

Laura blinked and was shocked to see this expression on his face, it was errogant and cheeky. She quickly took out a small pouch looking bag that had a small camera in it that didn't have a flash on it. She took his picture, and then another for spare. She put the pouch bag into her purse and then looked out the window and gasped as she looked down at the country of Japan, it was daylight here now and she could see tiny people walking around as they were going down to land.

"_Please fasten your seatbelts and stay in your seats. You will fill a slight jerk as we land the plane. Thank you for taking the New York Airlines!"_ the announcer said over the intercom.

Ryoma buckled up and waited for the jerk that he had felt many times during his travels back and forth from Japan to the U.S.

Laura buckled up as well and to braced her self a little to.

The plane hit the ground and everyone went forward and then back, hitting the seats.

Laura groaned and rubbed her back. "Aww ouch, that didn't feel so great, I think my neck snapped." she said rubbing her neck.

Ryoma looked completely uneffected. He unbuckled once they had comepletely landed and grabbed his bag and turned and walked to the door of the plane and began walking down the tunnel and into the airport.

Laura quickly gathered her things and ran after him. She huffed as she caught up to him at the luggage gathering station.

Ryoma looked down at her and then back to watching for his bags. He leaned over and picked up a backpack and a big rolling suitcase. He sat it down and pulled the handle up and walked towards the entrance, he stopped by the lisence desk and showed them his passport and then they let him through it.

Laura followed and did the same and quickly caught up to him.

Ryoma stopped walking once they got outside and he turned to Laura. "Why are you following me?" he asked looking down at her.

Laura looked up to say something but stopped and blushed and her lips parted slightly. It was only now that she saw how handsom that Ryoma actually was. He was really good looking, those narrow eyes and the natrual ivory skin that the japanese have. He had grown a lot. He looked so much older. He used to be small and cheeky, now he was much older. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Do you know where I can find a close inn?" she asked.

Ryoma looked up and around and then he flagged down a taxi and he spoke in Japanese to the driver, telling him to take Laura to the nearest inn.

Ryoma turned to Laura. "Get in, he'll take you to where you need to go, your japanese sounds okay so you should have no problem getting checked in." he said. He turned and began walking down the street.

"Ryoma, wait a minute I have another question!" she called out.

Ryoma turned and walked over to her and bent over slightly to her to whisper. "I told you...my name is RYOU." he said and then stood up straight. "Hurry up, what is it." he groaned.

Laura blushed and cleared her throat. "Where are you going to be studying in Tokyo?" she asked.

Ryoma looked at her. "Stalker." he said.

Laura blushed and gasped. "No, i-it's not like that! I was just wondering, you know...in case I need a tour of Tokyo." she said.

Ryoma looked down at this woman. He really admired her effort. He sighed and reached into his pocket and brought out a small piece of paper. "Got a pen?" he asked.

Laura nodded and rummaged through her purse and got out a ink pen and gave it to him.

Ryoma proped the paper on the taxi and wrote down his number. He folded the paper and stuck the pen on it.

"This is my cell phone. Don't call me around the clock, only call me if you desperately need help." he said and turned and walked away.

Laura watched as he left and blushed and stuck the pen and paper into her purse and smiled.

"Come on miss, I haven't got all day." the taxi driver said.

Laura jumped and blushed and got her bags and put them in the trunk of the taxi and climbed into the taxi. She smiled and took out the piece of paper that she had put away as the taxi drove off. On the paper was numbers and his name, her eyes widened a little and she laughed softly to herself. He had made a mistake, he put Ryoma down, instead of Ryou.

Meanwhile Ryoma walked down the street. He stopped walking and looked at a realtor's office that he was standing beside. He saw a paper with an add in it for a small one bedroom apartment. He felt around in his pocket for his wallet and he pulled it out and opened it up and sighed and turned and walked inside the realtor's office.

He went in and over to the desk. "I want to look at the apartment in this add." he said holding the paper over to the guy behind the desk.

The guy nodded. "Very well sir." he said grabbing his clipboard and his coat and a key from the glass cabinet. "Let's go, it's just a few minutes away so we'll go on foot." he said.

Ryoma just nodded and followed the guy down the street. They turned down a rode. He looked down the road, it was really familiar.

As they continued getting closer Ryoma began to feel more familiar. He looked to a house, it was a house that had a shrine and tennis court in it. He then remembered. It was his parents house.

Ryoma smiled a little and as they were about to walk past the house a woman with redish brown hair walked out. She looked like she was in her early fourties. It was his mother.

Ryoma stopped walking and turned to the woman. The realtor stopped walking as well and waited for Ryoma.

The woman turned and stopped when she bumped into Ryoma. "Oh I'm sorry." she said and backed up and looked up at Ryoma.

Ryoma looked down at his mother and she looked back at him.

Rinko looked up at the boy and blinked. "I'm sorry, um do you need something?" she asked.

Ryoma shook his head and chuckled. "How sad." he said.

Rinko looked up at the boy. "E-excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"You don't even recognize me." he said and then reached up and took off his sunglasses and hat.

"Ryoga?" she asked looking at him and blinking and then smiled.

Ryoma inwardly facepalmed himself. He gave a slightly irritated look at his mother. "No, mother, it's me, Ryoma." he said.

Rinko gasped and covered her mouth as tears fell down her cheeks. She threw her arms around her son and she cried into his chest.

"Come on ma, it's embarassing." he said whispering and looked at the elderly women who walked by and were giggling.

Rinko pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I haven't seen you in four years and you dare tell your mother to pipe down." she asked crossing her arms.

Ryoma gulped and shook his head. "Listen mother...you can't tell anyone that I am here...I'm not Ryoma anymore, I am Ryou...don't ask why, I will explain when I have more time, but now I have to go, I am renting an apartment just down the road from here." he said.

Rinko looked into Ryoma's eyes, knowing he was serious and that there was a good reason behind him hiding who he was. "Alright...which apartment is it, I will bring you some then I want some answers." she said.

Ryoma looked around and put his hat and sunglasses back on and took out the ad paper and tore out the address. "Here, this is the one." he said. He then smiled. "I have to go now, remember don't say anything." he said.

Rinko nodded and sighed. She gave her son a hug and watched as he walked down the road with the real estate guy and as they turned the corner.

Rinko sighed. She was surprised to see that her son was grown. He looked exactly like Ryoga did. She laughed softly and then turned to go back to what she was doing. She walked to her car and got in and drove off towards town.

Ryoma walked into the apartment room and the realtor turned on the lights. He walked through the apartment and looked around. He went inside the bathroom and looked around and then back out. He walked to a door and opened it and it revealed the bedroom. It was a decent size, for one person at least. He walked back out and to the livingroom and then to the kitchen.

"So what do you think sir, will you take it?" he asked.

Ryoma looked around for a few more seconds and then sat his things down.

"The plumbing and electricity is at top shape, I don't think you will find any problems with it." the realtor informed him.

Ryoma nodded. "I'll take it." he said and pulled out his wallet. He then sat up on the kitchen counter and filled out the paperwork. He gave the clipboard back to the guy and he jumped down and sighed.

"Thank you for doing buisness with us." the realtor said and walked out.

Ryoma nodded and then opened his cell phone and looked at the time. He still had some time left before night came, so he decided to go search for some furniture.

He walked out of the apartment and locked up and then zipped his jacket up some more and then headed down the stairs. He walked back the way he came from town.

There was a particular furniture shop that he was familar with, it was a little ways past the place where he used to get strings for his tennis rackets. He headed towards it, he passed by the tennis shop, not even as so much giving it a glance. He walked up to the furniture shop and walked in and looked around.

He looked at a full size bed that was cheap enough to buy. He picked up one of the cards, indicating he wanted that one. He then went and picked a card up for a couch, kitchen table, and chairs. He headed back to the counter and gave them to the clerk and paid him off and left the shop.

The furniture would take at least two hours to get to his house so he headed to the electronic shop to by a telephone and a t.v. He stood there trying to decide on which t.v to buy. He didn't want it to big, just big enough that he could see it from the kitchen if he needed to.

Ryoma picked up the card to the t.v and then went and bought a simple house phone and headed to the counter. He bought them as well, those would take a bit to arrive to his apartment as well. Ryoma walked out of the shop and stood there wondering what to do to pass the shrugged as he headed over to the college to put in his application to attend the college.

Ryoma filled out the paperwork and they gave him his schedule. He walked out. The college was in session already, but he couldn't start attending untill tomorrow, so he just walked around to get a feel of the place. He looked at the map they gave him and headed over to the sports department to look around, since he would be majoring in coaching sports. He walked up to the gymnasium and walked inside and looked around. The basketball team were practicing while listening to the instructions from one of the trainee basketball coaches.

Ryoma didn't pick one pacific sport. He was studying to teach all of the, he would avoid tennis at all costs though. He turned and walked out and headed to the batmitton cout. There were some playing there to. Badmitton could be a pretty good sport if there were some decent players who could actually return the birdie.

After he left the badmitton court he happened to stumble across the tennis court. He stopped walking and walked over to the court. He would at least watch, watching didn't bother him much. He looked as the team were in just there own personal club clothes. He scanned through the players and looked over to where eight guys were standing and talking. He smirked. It was the old segaiku team. How werid is it to be attending the same college together. He shook his head and then went and sat in the bleachers to watch the matches.

Meanwhile the other eight were talking about the competitions against the colleges next week. H

"Now that we know what postions we'll be playing there isn't any confusion on how we should practice. Remember, Kaidoh and Momoshiro are playing doubles along with Eeji and Oishi. Fuji, Kawamura and myself are on singles. Let's practice." Tezuka said with that same stone expression he carried with him as long as Ryoma could remember.

The old Seigaku team headed onto some of the empty courts and began warming up with their stretches before the matches.

Ryoma took off his sunglasses and kept his black cap on to watch the matches. He smirked. "Let's see how much you all have improved." he muttered to himself.

**A/N: Thanks for reading~! I would really appreciate if you would review to this story XD I have gotten some already and they are all very interesing to read, so many opinions! I love getting reviews *SWEELS IN HAPPINESS* = u = I love reviews~~~! Thanks for reading and stay with me for the next chapter! :D Ryoma is almost discovered in the next chapter! How will he find his way out of his position~! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is another chapter~! :D I hope you are enjoying the story so far :DDD PLEASE READ AND REVIEW~! I love feedback.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS**

**P.s- I currently do not have a beta for this story, if anyone is interested, the spot is open. So until I get one, I will have to edit myself, which is really troublesome, it slows down my updatint~ I hope you enjoy reading!**

**Ryoma x Fuji pairing later on**

**Chapter 3**

Ryoma sat back on the bleachers as the practice matches were starting up between the guys on his old team. He was really looking forward to see how much they guys have improved and changed. So far, things were looking alright so far, they were in good shape.

First he looked over to the doubles, where Fuji and Tezuka was facing off. Their form was good, Ryoma figured they had worked hard to get into this college to play tennis.

"Those guys...I wonder if they'll go pro." he mumbled to himself and shifted in his seat and then finally got up and walked down a little further untill he was right at the courts enouch for people to see him more clearly. He walked to the drink machine and fumbled in his pocket and got out some change and put it into the machine.

A girl walked up to the drink machine's as well and nodded at Ryoma and stepped around him and was fumbling in her change purse to get a drink. She sighed and frowned.

Ryoma looked at glanced at her change purse that had just a few yen in it. He rolled his eyes and then went back into his pocket and turned and threw some money over his shoulder and it landed swiftly inside her change purse. "Take it." he said and walked up to the fence of the courts and watched the matches and opened his drink.

The girl from the drink machines walked up beside him and glanced at him and blushed. "Um thanks for the change." she said.

Ryoma just nodded and took a swallow of his drink and watched the matches.

The girl cleared her throat. "Um, I am Sakuno. I haven't seen you around here before." she said blushing slightly. She seemed to be shy just standing there. Ryoma felt that she would be shy even if there was no one around her.

"I just transfered here. I will be attending the sports department starting tomorrow." he said.

Sakuno smiled. "Oh, that is great. I'm from the sports department to. I want to be a coach for a girl's tennis team." she said blushing. "Silly right?" she said sighing.

Ryoma looked at her. "Not really. If it's what you like then why not?" he mumbled.

Sakuno nodded. "I know. I really want to." she said smiling. "So what are you studying in the sports department, proffessional basketball, tennis, soccer, or other?" she asked.

Ryoma looked at her and blinked and then shrugged and turned back to the matches. "Coaching." he said.

Sakuno's face lit up. "Eh? Really, then we'll be studying together in the same course! That's great a friend!" she giggled.

Ryoma looked at her. "Hey don't go deciding things on your own." he said.

Sakuno giggled. "It will be fun, don't worry." she said.

Ryoma sighed. "Whatever." he said.

Later on the matches came to and end. The tennis club was leaving the courts, but Ryoma just stood there and looked at the empty courts, not really noticing they were leaving.

Sakuno waved. "I will see you tomorrow...um...what is your name?" she asked.

Tezuka was standing nearby watching the girl and guy. He was listening in as long as the Oishi.

Ryoma looked at Sakuno, he didn't see that Tezuka and Oishi were near. He sighed and ran a hand over his hat.

"Ryou." he said and looked away from her and to the courts.

Sakuno smiled. "Nice to meet you Ryou." she said. "So, um I will see you tomorrow in class." she said and waved and walked off.

Ryoma just nodded. He then looked at the courts some more. He took one step forward. He then took another step, and then more. He walked inside the fence and onto one of the courts.

He looked down and then to the other side. He walked up to the net and put a hand on it and stared at the lines on the court.

"Are you interested in joining the tennis club, Ryou?" Oishi called to Ryoma and walked inside the fence.

Ryoma turned slowly and put his sunglasses on and shook his head. He walked over to them and went right past them. "No thanks, I don't play tennis." he said.

Tezuka watched as Ryoma watched by. "Wait...have we met before?" Tezuka asked.

Ryoma stopped walking, thinking of what to say. He then turned on his heels and looked at Tezuka through his sunglasses.

"No." he simply stated and turned and walked away.

Oishi walked up to Tezuka and smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There are others." he said.

Tezuka nodded. "Indeed." he said and they left the courts.

Ryoma left the university and then headed home where the moving guys were waiting along with his mother.

His mother was wearing a bonnet and sunglasses. Ryoma groaned and slapped his forehead and walked over to her.

"Ma, what are you doing?" he whispered to her.

Rinko turned to her son and put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, I am playing the part with you. Think son, it would be weird for a married mother to show up to a strange man's house, you did after all say not tell anyone." she said.

Ryoma ran a hand over his hat again and sighed. "You are impossible, mother." he groaned and led her upstairs.

Ryoma opened the door and let the guys move the funiture inside and he told them where to put it. After they had left he and his mother sat down at the new table and his mother pulled out a bento box.

"I know you are bound to be hungry." she said. "Eat up."

Ryoma took a pair of the chopsticks and sighed and began to eat.

Rink watched and smiled. "So, now let's get down to buisness. Tell me where you were these four years and why you vanished." she said.

Ryoma paused from eating and then slowly went back to eating. "It's nothing serious, I just...stopped playing that is all. Nothing important." he mumbled and started on the rice.

Rinko slid the rice bowl away from his reach and looked at her son. "Ryoma, I am your mother and I am not dumb. I know something is up and I want you to tell me right now." she said.

Ryoma reached over with his chopsticks as far as he could and got a bite of rice on his chopsticks, but Rinko slapped his hand lightly and the rice fell from his chopsticks.

"Ah." he mumbled and pulled his hand back and ate the cabbage.

Rinko narrowed her eyes and pulled all of the dishes she had prepared away from him. "Ah ah, if you want to eat you have to spill what your hiding." she said.

Ryoma frowned and looked at her with a slightly irritated look.

"Don't look at me like that Echizen Ryoma. Now tell me." she persisted.

Ryoma sighed and got up and went over to his bag and grabbed the envelope and tossed it on the table. "Don't get me wrong, what you are about to read isn't the only reason. I just simply got tired, like Dad did." he said and sighed and sat back down and pulled the dishes to him again and ate.

Rinko opened up the envelope and looked at the papers. She read through them quietly and sighed and sat the papers down.

"Ryoma, I'm sorry." she said and got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can do it if only you just try." she whispered.

Ryoma shook his head and kept eating. "Did you read it properly, I can't. You saw it yourself." he said.

Rinko made Ryoma face her. "You never know until you try, Ryoma. Believe in yourself." she said and sighed and went over to her purse on the counter and pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to him.

"I picked this up for your grandfather, but it will be of use to you to. Don't give up Ryoma." she said.

Ryoma looked at the brochure and read the title. "Rehabilitation?" he asked. "You want me to do rehabilitation?" he asked looking at like she had gone mad.

Rinko sighed. "I just want you to think about it. You never know you just might be able to play again." she said.

Ryoma laid the brochure down on the table and stood up and walked to the livingroom. "Where is the old man?" he asked.

Rinko sat down on the couch beside him. "He is at the house, being lazy as ever. You know...he misses his all time tennis opponent." she said smiling.

Ryoma looked at her and shrugged. "Always waiting for a rematch." he mumbled.

Rinko nodded. "Yes. I believe he is." she said smiling. "Ryoma, there is another thing I wan to talk to you about...I saw a paper up on the advertisment board at your old high school. They are having a reunion this weekend...I think it would be good for you if you went." she said.

Ryoma shook his head. "No." he said and turned on the t.v. He frowned. "I got to get cable tomorrow." he mumbled and got up.

Ryoma looked at the clock and back to his mother. "I should walk you home now...it's getting late." he said.

Rinko stood up and sighed and went over to the kitchen to grab her coat. She put it on and put her purse on her shoulder. "I am a grown woman Ryoma, I think I can manage to get home by myself." she said.

Ryoma nodded. "Thanks for the food." he mumbled and showed her to the door.

Rinko cupped Ryoma's cheek when they got to the door. "Please think about it...both of them." she said and hugged him and turned and walked out.

Ryoma stood there for a moment after she left. He looked at the floor. He shook his head a few minutes later and locked the door and turned the hall light off. He went into his bags and grabbed a towel and some fresh clothes and then jumped in the shower.

As the warm water raced down onto his body, he stared at the bottom of the shower. He looked to his leg which had a red scar that tore down his leg from the top of his knee, to his ankle. He had completely snapped the knee and shin and had surgery to put them back into place. He had a metal plate on one area of his knee.

Ryoma shook his head and turned the water off and opened the shower and stepped out and slammed the door and dried off and brushed his teeth. He then went to his bedroom and jumped on his bed after putting on the clean clothes he laid out.

He turned off the light and set his alarm clock to eight for school. He laid down and closed his eyes and let himself remember the days he enjoyed tennis. He slipped off to sleep finally and sighed.

Meanwhile Laura was getting settled into her room. She unpacked her things and brushed her hair and got into some pajama's and looked out the window as she sipped some wine she had bought. She stared at the piece of paper on the table and bit her lip.

She got up and went over to the phone in her stay room and dialed the number and waited for Ryoma to pick up.

Someone answered on the end of the line, but it wasn't who she was expecting.

_"Thank you for calling our Sushi Bar, how may we help you?"_ the other person on the other end said.

Laura blinked and hung up and balled up the piece of paper and threw it away.

"Dammit...he gave me a fake number!" she groaned and stormed over to her bed and threw herself on it and grumbled. "He made a fool out of me." she mumbled.

Laura buried her face in the pillow and screamed into it.

"Now how in the hell am I supposed to find him!" she whined.

**A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed that chapter~! Next, Ryoma is at his first day of university, he is also taken to his first lesson of coaching, for the swim team and basketball team! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW~! Thank you and thanks for reading :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I hope you are enjoying His Endurance this far XD I am enjoying writing this story :D I hope you have enjoyed reading. Thank you all who have reviewed. Your reviews help me a lot :D Keep sending in suggestions :D XDDD**

**P.s- I would like to think a reviewer who helped me a lot :D You know who you are~!**

**Chapter 4**

Ryoma rolled over and slapped his loud alarm clock off. He sat up and yawned, stretched and rubbed his chest. He got up and trudged out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He opened up the refridgerator, expecting to find something good to eat, but only found it to be empty.

He sighed and looked at the clock on the wall and then went and got dressed. He grabbed his back pack and his identification.

When he walked over to the table, the brochure caught his attention. He stared at it for a long moment before picking it up and shoving it into his pocket. He cut off all the lights and then turned and walked out of his apartment and locked up.

Ryoma looked at the sky, it was slightly cloudy. He figured there might be some rain later on today. He sighed and rubbed his scar, that was hidden in his long pants. He didn't wear shorts in public, only when he was alone.

The day was going to be long, this much he could tell. He walked down the street and into town. He wasn't to hungry, so he decided not to stop for breakfast, but instead got a small chocolate milk carton and drunk it.

Ryoma walked down the street to the University. He looked at all the people walking inside, it sort of reminded him of high school in away. He finished up his highschool in America. He had spent one year of high school here in Japan with the others, but left to start working on his career.

He walked forward and headed into the sports department building wearing his hat and a fake pair of glasses, they were just simple cosplay glasses that had fake lenses, so he could see perfectly fine.

As he was walking down the hall, someone tugged softly on one of his sleeves. He turned and looked down to see the same blushing girl from yesterday.

"Who are you?" he mumbled.

Sakuno frowned and laughed nervously. "Don't you remember me Ryou-san, we met yesterday, you know, you helped me buy a drink." she said.

Ryoma blinked and looked at her in confusion. "I don't remember." he mumbled and turned and walked inside of the classroom.

There was about fifteen to twenty people in there, he could tell not to many were interested in coaching.

Sakuno sighed and followed Ryoma inside the classroom. "Geez, you sure have a bad memory, you could at least remember my name." she said and sighed.

Ryoma shrugged. "I can't help what I don't remember." he said and went and sat down at one of the desks in the back. He sighed and put his elbow on the table and then propped his head on it.

Sakuno hesitated before pushing herself forward and into the seat beside Ryoma. "Can I sit here?" she asked blushing.

Ryoma nodded. "Whatever." he said.

Sakuno smiled and then took out her achievement card and placed it on the desk. "Ryou-san, you have to take out your achievment card, the instructor will come by and stamp the two sports you will be practice coaching for this week." she said.

Ryoma blinked. "Ah." he said and pulled out the card they gave him when he dropped by yesterday. He sat it out on the table and sighed, waiting on the class to start.

The instructor finally walked in a few minutes later, right after two more students did.

Ryoma sighed at his bad luck, it was Tezuka and Oishi. He then remembered from back when they were in highschool that the two of them wanted to conitnue playing tennis and coach tennis. He also heard that the two of them were a couple. He sighed and tilted his hat down as they walked to the back and sat across the aisle of him and Sakuno.

Sakuno waved over to them. "Good morning, Tezuka-sempai, Oishi-sempai. How did morning practice go?" she asked them.

Oishi smiled. "It was great, thanks." he said. "And how are you?" he asked her.

Sakuno smiled. "I'm great." she said.

Tezuka nodded at her in answer and then turned to face to front when the instructor started speaking.

"Good morning everyone, hope you all have done morning practice well. " the instructor said.

Ryoma looked to the front and listened in to what the instructor said.

"Alright first of, we have a transfer student, let's all welcome Ryou and show him how things work around the class." the instructor said and then looked down at his plans and cleared his throat. "Alright I am coming around with the stamps so have your cards out." he said.

Ryoma pulled his cap down at the mention of his name. He wasn't really into attention, he never really had been in his life. He liked his own silent pace.

Sakuno talked with Oishi and held her card up to the instructor as he went by and smiled and then turned to Ryoma who was looking at his card.

"Ryou-san, what two sports are you in charge of today?" she asked.

Ryoma sighed and looked down at his card. "Soccer and Basketball. One indoor, one outdoor." he mumbled and stood up and began to leave the classroom like the others were.

Sakuno got up quickly. "Aw man~!" she sighed. "I was hoping to have the same sports as Ryou-san today." she mumbled.

Oishi stood up and laughed and patted Sakuno on the head. "It looks like you've fallen for our transfer student." he laughed.

Sakuno blushed. "No, it's not like that!" she protested and blushed.

Oishi laughed and Tezuka watched as Ryou left the room. "Oishi, I'm going ahead." he said.

Oishi turned to Tezuka with soft eyes. "Alright, see you later." he said and watched him leave and looked at Sakuno's card. "Hey we have the same sports today, badmitton and volleyball, want to walk together?" he asked.

Sakuno sighed and smiled. "Sure, sempai." she said and they left to.

Meanwhile Ryoma was already approaching the gymnasium. He walked in and the basketball coach blew his whistle and told the team to line up for the practice coaches.

Ryoma walked up to the instructor and gave him the card and the coach punched a hole in it along with Tezuka's. He glanced at Tezuka who glanced at him and then to the basketball team.

"These two are you trainee coaches for this week, this is Ryou, and Tezuka. You will call them by their names followed by sensei, as you do mine." the coach said.

The basketball team rolled their eyes but nodded. "Let's hope these two actually have common sense on basketball." the captain of the basketball team said.

Ryoma put his hands in his pockets and sighed.

The coach turned to them. "Well I will get them warmed up while you two go change into some sport appropriate clothing. There are some clothes in the storage that are all sizes, find ones that are your size and hurry out.

Tezuka nodded. "Thank you, Sensei." he said and turned and walked down the hall and to the storage. He opened the door and walked in with Ryoma shortly after.

Tezuka went over to a box and pulled out a simple white gym shirt and then chose a pair of the gym shorts.

Ryoma approached the box and grabbed one of the white shirts in his size to and then dug to the bottom and pulled out a pair of gym pants.

Tezuka looked at Ryoma. "Not a fan of shorts?" he asked as he removed his clothes and put the others on.

Ryoma looked at him and then turned and walked out. "No." he muttered and walked down to the bathroom to change. He put on the clothes and glanced at his scar and then sighed and went and put his clothes in one of the lockers.

Tezuka ponder why Ryoma didn't change in there with him, he assumed he was shy. He shrugged and put his clothes in a locker as Ryoma did.

Ryoma turned and walked out and sighed and walked back to the gym. He stood beside the coach and Tezuka as the team was called back into line up.

"Alright, take over guys." the coach said and went and sat down and was talking with the girl's basketball team coach.

Ryoma sighed and looked at Tezuka. "Which do you want, girl team or guys?" he mumbled.

Tezuka looked down at Ryoma. "Either one, it doesn't matter." he said.

Ryoma looked up at him. "That sure helps a lot, I got the girl's team, I think you'll be to hard on them." he said with a smirk and turned and headed to the girls team. He approached them and they looked at him and whispered among themselves and giggled and lined up.

Ryoma cleared his throat a little and looked down at his clipboard. "To start, run five laps around the gym, then light jog five." he said.

The girls groaned and whined. "No fun." they mumbled and took of to their first assignment.

Tezuka looked at Ryoma from the boy's side of the gym. _'He said I would be to rough...he seems familiar.'_ he thought. He shook his head and turned to the boy's basketball team.

"Well start with stretches." he said. "Pair up and stretch." he said and wrote on the clipboard.

Ryoma sighed when the girls finished running. He then went over to the rack and got a basketball off and tossed it to the leader. "I want the five regulars to pair up with five of the normal players and play a ten minute match, if I think you are no good, I will pull you from the game and I will substitute you and give the person I pulled a training menu to go by." he said.

The girls sighed and then put on different jerseys, one side yellow, the other red. Ryoma blew his whistle and he threw the ball up in the air and watches as the girls played.

Ryoma walked around as they played and he notcied that in general, most of the players were in good form, expecially the regulars. He looked to the other team, they were doing well as well. But there was one girl who was tripping over her own feet. He held his hand up and blew his whistle.

"Girl with the weird ponytail, your out. You there, with the blue shoes, substitute in." he said. He watched as the girl with the ponytail girl left the match and the other one went in.

Ryoma walked over to the girl and crossed his arms and looked at her. "What is your name?" he asked, more in a mumble.

The girl sighed and looked at him. "Chiharu, Ichimura Chiharu." she said.

Ryoma nodded and wrote down that she was pulled out during the match. "Alright, here go by this training menu that I have prepared by watching your play." he said.

Chiharu looked at him like he was crazy. "It is impossible to create a training menu in the six minutes I've played!" she protested and crossed her arms.

Ryoma turned and looked at her and pointed to the paper. "Just do it." he said and turned back to the game.

Chiharu groaned and turned and stormed off to the bleachers with the menu balled up in her hands. She sat down and sighed. She eyed the paper and then sighed and opened it back up.

She looked over it's contents and she blinked in confusion and shock. It was a perfect training menu, and at there bottom there was some handwriting that was really pretty. She read it and blinked again and laughed to herself. The writing told her that she needed to get her wrist checked out. She had twisted her wrist at a private practice a week ago, she hadn't told anyone, so how could he have known!

Chiharu looked at Ryoma who was watching the match, carefully scanning with his eyes. She shook her head and sighed and smiled. _'He is something else...Haha, he is interesting.'_ she thought.

Ryoma sighed and blew the whistle and the match ended. He called the girls into a semi-circle around him on the floor and told them to sit.

The girls filed over along with Chiharu. They sat down and huffed.

Ryoma looked down at his clipboard and sighed. "I'm only going to say this once so pay attention, I hate repeating myself." he said.

The girls leaned forward a little to listen.

Ryoma took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Regulars, you are doing alright so far, but you all are lacking the appropriate staimina and strength. I think it's because you don't push yourself enough in practice. I have prepared a training menu for this week, I expect to see changes by the time Saturday comes around." he said.

He took another breath and looked back down at his clipboard at what he wrote down.

"As for the normal players, you all lack stamina and leg power. You looked like scared of the ball, you are supposed to run to get the ball, not from it. I would suggest you get it together and don't be afriad to break a nail." he said.

The girls looked at him baffled.

Ryoma returned there looks with a expressionless one. "Got it?" he asked.

The girls whined and nodded. "Yes, Ryou-sensei." they said together.

Ryoma nodded. "Good, here are your training menu's, if I don't see any improvment I will put a word in for the coach that this school needs new regulars." he said looking at the regulars.

The girls sighed and got up. "Now what do we do?" they asked him.

Ryoma looked down at his clipboard again. He then went over to a box and pulled out some ankle weights. "These will help improve your movement speeds and your stamina. Put these around your ankles and get ready for another ten minute match." he said.

The girls sighed and put on the ankle weights and looked at Ryoma. "You can hardly feel them."one of the regulars said.

Ryoma nodded. "Now I want the same teaming I had earlier."he said.

Chiharu sighed and went back and sat on the bleachers.

Ryoma blew his whislte and tossed the ball once more. He then walked over to Chiharu.

"What are you doing sitting, come on you are practicing as well." he said.

Chiharu looked up. "I can't, there isn't any more room on the teams." she mumbled.

Ryoma sighed and sat down his clipboard on the bleacher and took off his watch and his necklace and sat it down on his clipboard and removed his wallet from his pants.

"Your practice partner is me, now come on." he mumbled.

Chiharu blinked and got up and followed Ryoma to a floor basketball goal and watched as Ryoma picked up a ball.

"Get ready." he muttered and tossed her the ball. "Ladies first." he said and got into position to play, his knees slightly bent and his arms open and ready to try to steal the ball.

Chiharu sighed and shrugged and bet her knee's as well and began to dribble. She travled while dribbling and ran towards the goal.

Ryoma smirked. "To slow." he said and ran to her and snatched the ball perfectly before it connected with her hands again. He dribbled as he travled up the mini court quickly and jumped up and landed a basket. He caught his rebound and then dribbled it and rested a hand on his hip and looked at her.

"You have got to better than that." he said and passed the ball to her. "Your ball." he said.

Chiharu recovered quickly and ran forward dribbling. "Not this time!" she said and dribbled up to him.

Ryoma defended perfectly, not once letting her past him. He got his hands ready to steal the ball.

Chiharu tried to fake him to the left, but failed and he once again took the ball and took it to his side of the court and got another basket.

After the ten minutes were up, the girls team were huffing and sitting on there bottoms. Ryoma called time and sighed and looked at the team.

Chiharu huffed, the weights tired her down greatly. "No fair~ you weren't wearing any weights." she groaned and fell back on her bottom and panted.

Ryoma bent over and pulled up his pants leg a little. There were two sets of weights on them.

Chiharu looked at them and fell back on her back and groaned. "Your not human." she groaned.

Ryoma sighed and went back to the bleachers and he put his watch and stop watch back on and picked up his clipboard.

"Alright gather around." he called. He didn't even look the slightest bit tired.

The girls got up and walked over to him after removing the weights and sighed.

"That is all for practice today, go get changed and you can leave, I will see you the day after tomorrow. I hope to see improvment." he said and turned and headed over to the other two coaches who were watching in silence.

"I've finished with the girls for today." he said handing over the clipboard. "There is what I gathered and the training menu for them." he said. "I have specially modified Chiharu's due to her injury." he said and bowed and walked off.

The coaches smiled and chuckled. "Reminds me of our youth." the woman said, the man nodded as well and laughed.

Meanwhile Tezuka had just finished up as well. He prepared training menu's for his team and then turned in what he gathered to the coaches and took his leave to.

Ryoma walked into the locker room and looked around. There was nobody in there at the time, so he decided to change.

He took off his shirt and put his on and then untied the strings on the jogging pants and pulled them down. He then put one leg inside of his pants.

Tezuka sighed and walked into the locker room and stopped at the doorway and quickly hid himself from view.

Ryoma's back was turned to him, so he didn't know he was there.

Tezuka peeked around the corner as Ryoma was changing. He looked at the muscles in his legs, and his eyes stopped on one of the legs. He stared at the dark read scar that tore down Ryoma's leg from his knee to his ankle. He then shook his head and waited for Ryoma to finish.

Ryoma finished up changing and then sighed and grabbed his bag and card and turned to leave. He left the locker room, not noticing Tezuka was there, because he had hid behind the corner.

He sighed and walked down the hall to go grab some lunch.

Tezuka watched him leave and then went into the locker room and got dressed in deep thought. "It makes you wonder." he muttered and then headed to meet up with Oishi and the rest of the tennis team to practice.

**A/N: Well that is it for this chapter :D I hope you've enjoyed it :DDDDD In the next chapter Ryoma decides to go to rehabilitation, just to try it. While there, he bumps into Tezuka, who goes to the rehabilitation center just to help out for a part time job, since he himself had to go through rehabilitation. :D Will he discover Ryou's real identity? Find out in the next chapter :DDDD PLEASE REVIEW, TY**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hiya XD Alright, I have a something to clear up :D **

**This is a Fuji X Ryoma pairing - Fuji (seme) Ryoma (uke) in later chapters~!**

**Ha, and thats basically all I have to clear up for now, the reasons for Ryoma's still red scar will appear later on and sorry for any confusion XD Alright let's get on with it~! **

**Chapter 5**

Ryoma finished up with his last class of the day and then left and headed for his apartment. He figured he would get something to eat on the way, so he stopped at the restaurant that he and Momoshiro used to go to a few years back.

He walked inside and ordered him a burger and fries and then went and sat down near one of the corner seats. He watched the t.v that was in the corner of the place, it was viewing the local stockings for the week. He sipped his drink and then took out a book he had in his backpack. It was a book on soccer. He never played soccer or really watched the sport, so he figured he'd read up on it.

Ryoma read the book until he finished eating, even a little afterwards. He looked up from his book and noticed that the place had gotten a little crowded and noisy since the middle and high school's were let out. He picked up his bag and threw away his trash and left.

The sky was starting to look a little gray, it was supposed to rain in the late afternoon, so Ryoma turned and headed to the convience store to buy some things for him to fix dinner for himself tonight. He ended up buying a simple ramen cup, milk, and some apples.

"I need to go grocery shopping." he mumbled as he walked down the street to his apartment. He climbed the stairs and took out his key and unlocked the door and walked in.

Ryoma sat his things down in the kitchen then took his bag into the livingroom and turned on the t.v. He got out his homework he had gotten and began to work on it. It was simple homework and he was done with it within minutes.

He got up and put away his books and went to take a shower. The water felt great on his back and face. After he finished rinsing off, he got out and looked out side his bedroom window. It was now raining, just like the weather called for. He went to his bedroom and sat on the bed in his boxers and rubbed his bad leg. It always ached when it rained.

Ryoma sighed and pulled on some clothes and went back to the livingroom and sat down on the couch and watched the t.v. He flipped the channels and finally stopped on the sports channel. He watched the basketball matches that were on and waited for the tennis section to come on.

It was about eight o'clock by the time the tennis matches finally came on. Ryoma had dozed off finally. He sighed in his sleep and rolled over on the remote and it fell into the floor. He woke with a start and sat up.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Ryoma looked at the clock and then went over to his cell phone. He sighed and dialed the number that had called his cellphone while he was asleep.

_"Hello." _ Rinko said from the other end of the phone.

"Mom. You called?" he said.

_"Oh yeah, I just wanted to remind you about the high school reunion, Ryoma you have to go...please if you never listen to anything I say again, just please listen to me on this."_ she said.

Ryoma sighed. "I don't want to." he mumbled and sat down on the couch.

_"Ryoma, please? Do it for me? I will leave you alone if you do this!"_ she said.

Ryoma sighed. He was silent for a moment.

"When is it again?" he muttered reluctently.

_"Thank you, Ryoma! It is tomorrow night."_ Rinko said.

Ryoma sighed and nodded. "Alright. Where will it be?" he asked.

_"It is at the new restaurant in town."_ she said.

Ryoma sighed. "Ok. Got to go Mom." he said and hung up.

Ryoma sighed and laid his head back on the couch. He shook his head and got up. He figured he should go ahead and go to bed, he had to get up earlier tomorrow for his classes. He had to coach the soccer team tomorrow morning for their practice.

He went to his room after turning off the t.v and laid down on his bed. He sighed and managed to go back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Laura was making phone calls.

"Yes, I'm sorry sir, yes I sat beside him on the plane...no he was the real Ryoma Echizen!"she hollored into the phone as she walked down the street.

"No I lost him, he gave me a fake number!" she said into the phone again.

Laura sighed as she walked into the supermarket. She was walking down the aisle in her tall high heels and her blonde hair tossed over her shoulder. She sighed and looked up at a poster that was about family and then it hit her.

"Hey, Jerry...can you get me Ryoma's parents name and address." she asked clicking her tounge . "Thanks, call me when you got them." she said and hung up.

"I will get you Ryoma Echizen. I will bring you out into the open." she said and laughed and bought her groceries and left.

~**Next Day~**

Ryoma groaned and rolled out of bed when his alarm clock rung his ears off. He rubbed his eyes and got dressed with a long yawn.

He looked at the clock and sighed, he still had time to stop buy a cafe for some breakfast.

Ryoma picked up his house keys and bag, then left. He walked down the road, glancing at the signs as he passed by. There were advertisements about the tennis competition between the district Universities coming up soon.

He averted his eyes from them and walked into a small cafe and went up to the counter.

"I'll take some hot chocolate milk and a breakfast doughnut to go." he said and reached into his pocket to get his wallet. He pulled it out and handed the cashier the money and waited for his order to get finished.

He heard the bell of the store ring as another small group walked in. From the corner of his eyes, he could tell that it was four guys. He just kept his eyes on the t.v in the corner and watched the news.

Ryoma pulled his hat down more and kept his eyes on the television, knowing who they were. He didn't really care if they found out who he was, he just didn't feel like explaining anything to them.

Fuji walked up to the counter, talking with Momoshiro.

"What can I get you?" the clerk asked Fuji and Momoshiro.

"I'll take a Super doughnut and a coffee." Fuji said with a smile and his eyes still closed as usual.

Ryoma glanced over at Fuji and something inside his chest made him lose some of his footing, he moved forward and caught himself on the counter and gripped it and forced his eyes to go back to the t.v.

Eiji looked over at the guy standing at the counter. "Oi, are you alright?" he asked him placing a hand on his shoulder and looking around him to see his face.

Ryoma brushed his hand off and turned to face him. "It's nothing." he muttered and turned to the counter as the woman brought his things to him. He took it and turned and walked out.

"Wait, Ryou." a deep voice said and approached him.

"We have the same coaching class...walk with us?" Tezuka said looking down at the golden-eyed boy.

Ryoma looked back up into Tezuka's eyes. "I'll pass." he muttered and turned and walked out. He didn't feel like hanging around with the old bunch right now, it was already possible that he'd have to see them tonight at the reunion as well. He made up his mind, he would go and take a yearbook that they were supposed to be giving out, and then leave. It was simple, this way he didn't have to stay long enough for them to question which class he was in, or to realize what his real name was since Ryou wasn't on the list.

He turned down the road to the school and opened up his breakfast and ate it and sipped his hot chocolate as he walked into the gates. He headed to the classroom so the instructor could check their cards to see they attended their lessons, and then he was on his way again.

Ryoma wasn't really up to today, because of the rain yesterday, it made his leg ache some. It is said that when you have a past bad injury, that it tends to ache every now and then, it just so happened it was doing so now. It wasn't hurting to bad, just a slight ache feeling.

He turned the corder and suddenly ran into someone and they both fell back on their bottoms.

"Ouch, oh, I-I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," a woman said, "are you alright?" she asked looking down at Ryoma after she stood up.

Ryoma got up and dusted himself off. "I'm fine." he muttered and walked around her and headed for the soccer fields.

The woman sighed. "Strange guy." she said and turned and headed back on her way.

Ryoma looked around as he approached the soccer courts. "Hmmm...it's a big field." he muttered and then went over to coach who was writing down things on his clipboard.

"Sensei, I will be teaching your period today." Ryoma mumbled as he approached the instructor and bowed slightly.

The instructor nodded. "Ah yes, you must be Ryou. Jirou-san, the gym instructor, told me all about you. I hear you were really good with the girl's team." he said.

Ryoma tipped his hat down. "It was nothing." he said.

The instructor smiled. "My name is Tamaki, you can call me Tama-sensei." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "Alright. When will your class arrive?"he asked.

Tamaki smiled. "In just a few minutes, I am waiting on the other assistant that's coming, I heard that he was pretty good as well, but has a stone look that he wears constantly." he said.

Ryoma smirked a little and then looked towards the upper field where the two sets of teams, girls and boys, were approaching them along with Tezuka.

Once they got closer, Tamaki walked forward and motioned for Ryoma and Tezuka to follow him.

"Listen up everyone, these two are going to be your coaches for today. They are with the coaching department, respect them as if they were your teacher." he said.

He then turned to Tezuka and Ryoma. "Alright, go ahead and introduce yourself and pick the team you'll be coaching." he said and patted their shoulders and went and sat down in the chair he'd brought out to watch and observe.

Tezuka cleared his throat and glanced at Ryoma to see if he'd go first, but he showed no sign of doing so, so he began.

"Hello, I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu, it's a pleasure to coach you." he said with not hint of excitment in his voice, or any facial expression. He then turned to Ryoma, letting him know to go ahead.

Ryoma sighed and put his hands in his jogging pants pocket. "Ryou." he mumbled.

Tezuka approached Ryoma and looked down at him. "Same as yesterday?" he asked.

Ryoma nodded. "Doesn't matter." he said and walked over to the girls who were excited that Ryoma was going to be with them. They blushed and smiled.

"Ryou-sensei, what will be doing today?" the captain of the team asked.

Ryoma looked at her and then he bent down and felt the grass, which was still damp. He thought for a minute and then stood back up.

"We will be doing some training. First of all, running laps, 10 laps around the field." he said.

The girls whined and gave a second thought on their coach selection.

Ryoma looked at the girls. "Get going." he said. "You have 15 minutes to do this." he said.

The girls complained and started to run around the field. They talked amongst themself as they ran.

"Ne, the coach we got stuck with doesn't really have much to say, does he?" one of the girls said as she ran.

"Hush Meiko, he might hear you." the captain said.

"But Izumi, ten laps is a little harsh for a girl's team isn't it?" Meiko huffed.

Izumi didn't say anything and kept running. _'I think he is testing us...but for what, we are this school's most successful girls soccer team...he is definantly up to something.'_ she thought.

Meanwhile, Ryoma watched as they passed by him. He looked down at his stopwatch and sighed. Each time they went around, they took longer getting around.

_'I have my work cut out for me this time.'_ he thought and then blew his whistle on the last lap to assemble them to him.

They approached them huffing. They sat down on the damp ground in front of him and panted and complained to each other.

Ryoma looked down at them. "Stand up." he said.

Meiko looked at Ryoma. "What?" she asked, her voice getting a little irritated.

Ryoma looked over at her. "Stand up." he said again. He watched as the girls once again took their footing, but Meiko.

Meiko glared up at him. "We should take a break, we have to be careful and not out do ourselves, we have a game coming up next week, we can't afford to get all tired." she said.

Ryoma looked at the other girls and then back at Meiko. "They don't seem to have a problem." he said to Meiko.

The girls and Ryoma were now staring at Meiko. "Che, trying to embarrass me in front of my team mates." she said and crossed her arms.

"Anyway, let's get on with it." he muttered and sighed. "I will tell you how you did." he said.

The team turned to him and waited for him to speak.

"Okay, cutting straight to the point, you are all in terrible shape. I've heard you just won the district tournament two weeks ago, but just by a pinch." he said. "You all were running like old ladies." he said and crossed his arm.

The girls faces changed expression, some were angry, some were expressionless, and some were showing signs of wanting to change that fact.

Ryoma glanced down at Meiko who was still sitting. He looked at the clipboard to find the captain's name.

"Izumi, the captain. Do you teach your team mates to sit on their ass during a lesson?" he asked, and the girls gasped.

Izumi looked over at Meiko. "Get up Meiko, you are disrespecting our guest and your team." she hissed.

Meiko shoved herself up. "There." she grumbled.

Ryoma then looked down at his clipboard and sat it down on the chair that was put there for him.

"Alright, today's warm up is over, time to get started." he said.

The girls looked at him in shock. "You mean that wasn't all?" a girl in the front asked.

Ryoma shook his head. "No, far from it. I have you for an hour, we're going to put that time to use fully." he said.

He went over to a box and pulled out some dark blue vests that had 15 pounds of weights in them.

"All of you put these on and make sure they are zipped up." he said.

He pulled out four of them and handed them out and watched as they put them on.

The girls talked back and forth to each other on how heavy they were.

He gave one to Izumi and to Meiko. Izumi put hers on and then Meiko did the same, though she really didn't want to.

Ryoma sighed. "Alright. Let's go to our side of the field." he said taking them to the girl's practive field.

"Line up at this goal." he said standing in front of the goal. "Make a sideways line facing the other goal." he said.

They did as they were told and lined up.

Ryoma stood beside the goal. "Now I want you all to make five laps across and back the field." he said. "To the other goal and back five times." he said and blew his whistle and watched them take off.

Ryoma looked over at Tezuka's side of the field. He laughed inwardly. As always, Tezuka was pushing the guys to their hardest. He could tell the guys were near collapsing, and it had only been fifteen minutes. He shook his head and then turned back to watch his side, only to see Meiko still standing at the starting place with her arms crossed.

Ryoma frowned. _'Ah what a bother, a rebelious one. I will fix this right now.'_ he thought and then blew his whistle.

The girls stopped running and walked back to the field to where Ryoma was.

"Get off the field." he said to the girls. The girls moved, and Meiko went to follow but bumped into Ryoma.

"Except you." he said and looked down at Meiko. He wasn't looking at her, he was looking down on her.

"What do you want?"she asked, knowing he was looking down on her.

"I have a deal, a bet if you want to call it that." he said.

Meiko smirked, liking the sound of a competetion, a perfect chance to show up this teacher who seemed arrogant and annoying to her.

"Sure, you name it and I'll beat you." she said.

Ryoma smirked back at her. "Alright, we are going to race down to the other goal and back." he said.

Meiko grinned. "Only if I get to take these weights off, you aren't wearing any so that would put me at a big dissadvantage." she said crossing her arms.

"Um, Ryou-san, I don't think you want to do this. Meiko had outran almost every girl and some guys on soccer teams. She is really fast, she is a forward." Izumi said.

Ryoma took off his stopwatch and handed it to Izumi, along with his whistle and clipboard. "No worries." he said.

Izumi blinked and sighed, seeing it a lost cause to persuade him any further. She held her hand up and looked at the stop watch.

"Get ready." she called out.

Tezuka and the boy's team, along with the coach had stopped what they were doing to watch.

"Haha...he will be lucky if he can change that wild girl." the coach mumbled.

Tezuka glanced at the coach, at what he said, and then turned back to watch.

Izumi let her hand down and the two took off.

Ryoma was just light jogging, while Meiko was charging off.

Meiko laughed and looked back and saw at least two meters of space between them.

Ryoma then grinned and lowered his waist a little and made longer strides. In a split second, he had passed Meiko and was close to the goal. He then turned quickly, causing a burning hot pain in his right leg. He hissed but kept going. It wasn't like him to stop just of a pain like this.

He smirked as she was gaining on him. He then leaned his body forward a little and made wider steps and he made it back to the other goal in seconds, while Meiko was still mid-way on her way back.

Ryoma exhaled and stood up and took his things back from Izumi and then approached Meiko who was stunned and huffing.

"How...did...you do that!" she asked gasping for air.

Ryoma put his hands in his pockets. "You are out of shape, that's how." he said.

Meiko growled and crossed her arms. "Whatever." she hissed. She then glanced back at him. "A bet is a bet, I lost and I do not go back on my word. I will do as you ask from now on." she muttered unhappily.

Ryoma nodded and then took the tip of his jacket and pulled it back and forth, trying to cool off. "It's hot." he mumbled and then unzipped his jacket and took it off to reveal a blue vest with the number 25 on it, indicating the weight.

"Let's move on." he said.

Meiko gaped at him. _'He was wearing that the whole time! Who is he!'_ she thought and shook her head in disbelief.

Ryoma smirked at her and then looked into her eyes. "Mada Mada Dane." he said.

Meiko shook her head, clearly still in shock. She sighed and gave a cheeky grin. "I will beat you before this week is over, just you wait Ryou-sensei." she said.

Ryoma nodded and then explained the next lesson.

Tezuka had seen it all, he didn't hear what he was saying, but he knew it was something that made the girl he raced burn with determination.

He turned back to his team and was finishing up as the day was progressing.

~**45 minutes later~**

Ryoma watched as the girls left and then went over to the coach, who was talking with Tezuka. He didn't even look at Tezuka as he handed the coach his clipboard.

"I have prepared this, so they should be going by it." he said and bowed and turned to leave.

Tezuka watched and then he bowed to the coach as well and caught up with Ryoma.

"I have saw you're strength...have you ever played in a sport before?" he asked, his face staying in that same stone form.

Ryoma kept walking and looked forward. "Not really." he said and kept walking forward.

"Would you like to?" Tezuka asked. He looked at Ryoma. Something about this guy was really familiar to him. He felt as if they had met before.

"Not really." Ryoma muttered once again.

Tezuka walked along side of him smoothly. "Have you ever wanted to try Tennis?" he asked.

Ryoma stopped walking for a minute and turned to Tezuka. "I hate tennis." he said, to hear himself say it now, felt a litte painful, since he was talking to Tezuka.

Tezuka stopped walking as well. "I see. Sorry to have bothered you." he said and waved as he walked away.

Ryoma sighed and kept walking. His classes were over for the day, his other classes were called off due to meetings today. He put his bag on his shoulder and headed out of the school gates.

He walked down into town to go eat lunch. He decided on a burger restaurant. It smelled good to him at the moment, so why not? He went in and placed his order, took his tray and went and sat down in the same spot he did yesterday.

He pulled out a book on basketball and was studying again for basketball. He read on it and studied training techniques. It didn't seem like hard sport, at least not when he'd played it on his first day against that girl.

Ryoma finished up his fries and burger and closed his book, threw away his trash, and left. He walked down the street when a building caught his eyes.

He stood in front of it for a moment and then took out the brochure he had put in there and looked at it. It was the Rehabilitation center his mother wanted him to try out.

He looked at the shop closely and then back at the brochure. He hesitated before stepping inside. He took one good look around and spotted the very person he'd least wanted to see again today, Tezuka.

Tezuka turned to look at him and was walking up to him, when Ryoma turned and left quickly. He wasn't going to be caught dead in that place any longer since he knew that Tezuka had been there.

Ryoma figured by the clothes he was wearing, that he worked there. It made sense, since Tezuka had once had to attend rehabilitation in Germany once. He decided he wouldn't step foot in that place again.

He walked home and unlocked his door. He stepped inside and sat his things down on the couch. He said nothing as he prepaired the shower and got inside. The warm water soothed his aching leg. He had come close to reaching his limit back during the race he had with the girl.

He shouldn't have ran like that. He had just had surgery three months ago on his leg. When he was injured four years ago, the knee and leg completely snapped. After the bones mended, they didn't heal like they were supposed to, so they had to do surgery to remove some bone and replace it with metal plates. The scar wasn't as red as it was when he first had surgery. It was beginning to get lighter and lighter.

Ryoma got out and dried off and put on a pair of black pants and a white short sleeved dress shirt. He then dried his hair and brushed it and placed his black cap firmly on his head.

He walked into the livingroom and grabbed his cell phone and put it in his back pocket. As he walked out the door, he grabbed his house key and locked the door. He walked down the stairs to the building only to see his mother waiting there, leaning against a dark blue car.

Rinko looked up as she heard footsteps. She smiled. "Thank goodness. I thought you weren't going to go afterall." she sighed.

Ryoma approached her. "I told you I would." he mumbled. "Give me a lift?" he asked.

Rinko nodded. "That's whay I am here for." she said and smiled. She got in the driver side and waited for Ryoma to get in.

Ryoma got in and buckled up. He couldn't wait for this reunion to be over with. He just wanted to get it down and go back hom so he could sleep.

Rinko drove off and headed towards the new restaurant in town. "Why don't you try telling your friends, Ryoma...you know they would understand. They were such good boys back then. I hear they are still the same." she said.

Ryoma sighed. "I guess you could say that." he mumbled.

Rinko looked at him surprised. "Are they attending the same school as you?" she asked curiously.

Ryoma sighed and nodded. "Every one of them...it's like they are trying to haunt me." he mumbled.

"Now Ryoma stop that...they wouldn't do that. They have been worried about you, don't you know...after your dissapearence, they came over. Even now, they still come over to see if you have returned home...they really want to find you." she whispered.

Ryoma said nothing and looked out the window. The rest of the car ride was silent. He spotted the place, and there were people entering it. The sky had turned dark and the moon was out.

"I will come pick you up in an hour...at least try...Ryoma." she whispered.

Ryoma turned to get out of the car.

"Ah ah, wait...give me the hat." she said pointing to the hat.

Ryoma held onto it. "No way." he muttered.

"Ryoma Echizen, take off the hat and hand it over." she said.

Ryoma got out of the car and shut the door on the protesting Rinko's voice. He walked up to the entrance and went inside and followed the signs.

When he walked into the room there was a sign up sheet. He took the pencil and put down 'Ryou', and then headed inside where music was playing and people were sitting at tables and talking.

Over in the corner was the old tennis team, followed by the three-cheering trio and the two girls, Sakuno and Tomoka. They were talking and acting just like they did back when they went to school together.

He walked over to an empty table and sat down and watched some of the girls sing karaoke duets with some guys. In general it was a cheerful party, he felt at home around these guys.

Meanwhile Eiji was goofing off at the table behind Ryoma and he knocked Kaidoh over and then spilled it on the head of the person behind them.

Eiji got up and ran around the table to face the guy with the cap on.

Ryoma's eyes twitched in aggitation as his cap got soaked.

Eiji looked at him. "Are you alright?" he asked. Tezuka stood up and looked around also.

"Ryou?" he asked. He went around the table.

"Eh, you know this guy, Tezuka?" he asked.

Tezuka nodded. "We're in the same class." he said.

Oishi got up to. "Your right, he is the new transfer student." he said. He sat down at Ryoma's table and Eiji did the same.

"Where did you transfer from?" Eiji asked smiling in a cat-like way.

Ryoma looked at them both. "A different country." he said and sighed.

Eiji looked at Ryoma's hat that was dripping. "Why don't you take your hat off, it is soaked." he said.

Ryoma thought for a minute but sighed and reached up and took his hat off, revealing his green-tinted black hair.

Eiji paused for a minute and then smiled. "Better?" he purred and then went off to sing.

Tezuka stared hard at the identity that had been hidden by hats and glasses. It was so familiar. But it couldn't be the person he was thinking off.

Ryoma sighed and sipped his drink. "So which country did you come from?" Oishi asked.

Ryoma sighed. "France." he lied and looked away from them and over to the people who were goofing off nearby with Eiji.

Sakuno came over when she spotted Ryoma. "Ryou-san, I didn't know you went to our school? Which class were you in?" she asked.

Ryoma shrugged. "I don't remember." he muttered and sipped his drink.

The others shrugged and just went back to doing their own things with the other group.

Ryoma was sitting there bored, the party was nearly over. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw polive officers coming in. They whispered something to the person in charge of music.

One of the officers stepped up on stage and cleared his throat. "May I have your attention please." the officer said.

Ryoma turned and faced the stage from his seat.

"I need the following person to step forward...Ryoma Echizen." the cop said.

Ryoma almost choked on his drink. He looked up at the cop and there were whispers as everyone looked around.

Tezuka's eyes were on Ryou the whole time. Oishi caught Tezuka's eyes and watched Ryou as well.

"Ryoma, I know you don't want to be discovered...but it's your mother, she's been in an accident."the officer said.

Ryoma's head jerked up and he looked at the officer.

"Please come with me son, it's urgent." he said looking around the room to find whoever came forward.

Ryoma grit his teeth and then stood up. The room gasped as Ryoma walked forward and to the stage.

The cop looked down at the guy approaching. "Son, are you Ryoma Echizen." he asked.

Ryoma took a silent deep breath. "Yes." he said. "Take me to my mother." he said.

The cop nodded and stepped off stage, he put a hand on Ryoma's back and led him out.

Tezuka stared in shock, but his face didn't show it. The rest of the old team went over to Tezuka.

"Tezuka, we should follow, if that really is Echizen...then Rinko...she could be gone."Oishi said.

Tezuka nodded. "Let's go, he'll need us." he said. They all nodded in agreement and left.

Sakuno silently followed.

Ryoma was taken to the hospital where his mother was. He ran down the halls looking for her room. He spotted his father pacing outside a surgery room.

He ran up to him and huffed. "Dad." he whispered.

Nanjirou looked at his son. "Ryoma, your mother told me you were here in Japan again...I'm glad they got a hold of you...son, I don't think she is going to make it. The doctor said it was a half chance." he whispered and sat down and rubbed his temples.

Ryoma's stomach sank. He sat down beside his dad silently and waited, which was all they could do.

Ryoma heard running and he looked down the hall to see his former friends and team mates running up to them.

"Nanjirou-san, we heard." Oishi said, catching his breath.

Momoshiro walked slowly over to Ryoma and stood in front of him and looked down at him. "Why didn't you tell us...that you were here." he asked. He then jerked Ryoma up by his shirt. "Dammit we spent four years trying to find out if you were even alive!" he yelled.

Eiji and Oishi ran over and restrained Kaidoh, "Now is not the time for that Momoshiro." Oishi said.

Momoshiro shrugged them off and went and stood up near the wall.

Tezuka looked at Nanjirou. "We are all hoping that Rinko-san will make it out alright." he said.

Nanjirou looked up at him. "Thank you...she's all I have."he whispered and looked down at the floor.

Ryoma said nothing and looked down at his shoes.

They all sat there for what seemed like hours, and then finally the surgery light...went off.

Ryoma and Nanjirou both stood to their feet as the doctor came out, pulling off his mouth cover. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked over to the two guys.

"We're sorry...we couldn't do anything else...she has just a few moments before...before she passes. She wants to speak with you two." he said.

Nanjirou looked at the doctor. "Is there nothing you can do! Nothing at all?" he asked clutching the doctor's shoulders.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry." he whispered and walked off.

The others stood there in shock and watched the two family members.

Ryoma then walked forward to his dad and put a hand on his shoulder and slowly led him inside of the room and shut the door.

Rinko was laying in bed, she was bruised badly and there were cuts everywhere from the glass.

"Hey honey." she whispered to her husband that kissed her lips.

Ryoma walked over to the other side of the bed. "Mom." he whispered.

Rinko looked at her son. "Don't look at me with that expression...you two will be just fine...you'll have to take care of each other...make sure that your dad doesn't over eat or go flirting with other women for me."she said with a weak smile.

Nanjirou just held his wife's hand and sad nothing.

"Ryoma, I don't have but a few moments, so I will get this out quickly." she said. "Are you listening." she whispered.

Ryoma nodded as his own tears welled up, but he wouldn't let them fall, he couldn't do it.

"Ryoma I want you to promise me something." she whispered, getting weaker.

Ryoma nodded and wiped his eyes. "Anything Mom." he whispered.

Rinko smiled. "I want you to play tennis again...promise me that you will go back to playing tennis." she whispered. "Please, you were so...happy then...so...promise...me...hurry." she whispered, starting to fade.

Ryoma said nothing as he looked down at her. "Mom...I...I...Promise." he whispered.

Rinko smiled and nodded and cupped her son's cheek and then kissed her husband weakly and laid back against the bed. "Take care of yourselves...I love you...please...be...safe." she whispered before closing her eyes and slowly passing away.

Ryoma stood there in shock and confusion at the moment his mother died. He had just promised her something, he knew he would probably would never do. He fell to his knees by his mother's bed side and let go, he let go of his tears as they fell.

Nanjirou went over to his son and knelt down and helped him up and they slowly walked out of the room.

Ryoma said nothing to his old friends as he and his father turned and walked down the hall. He just didn't know what to do. He blamed himself, he should have done everything his mother asked. He regretted every wrong thing he'd done while she was alive. He missed her so bad, and she'd only just left.

Nanjirou and Ryoma walked silently to the register office, to register a mom, and a wife's death...

**A/N: That is all for this chapter T^T so sad that Rinko had to die! ToT This is a longer chapter than I had anticipated. I hope you enjoyed it XD PLEASE REVIEW~! IN the next chapter, now Ryoma's old friends know who he is, will they try helping him back on course. Ryoma still refuses to play tennis, even though he promised. What will it take to get Ryoma to keep his promise! FIND OUT NEXTIME XDDD**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: And we're back with another chapter. Alright I just want to take some time to thank the people who've helped me out on my error's on this story!**

**I want to first, thank ****Lanashe****, who has helped me with many of my mistakes!**

**Chapter 6**

Ryoma said nothing as he and his father were driving to the funeral home. He had tried to make conversation at some points, but failed terribly each time.

Nanjirou was quiet himself. He to couldn't bring himself to say anything. He just clutched his wife's picture as they pulled up at the funeral home.

There were already people there, who were waiting for the close family to arrive.

When the car stopped, Ryoma and his father got out. They walked silently inside the building were others were paying their respects.

Tezuka was standing in the back with the other guys. He looked over to the door when Ryoma and Nanjirou stepped through it and made their way to the front.

He could tell by the look in Ryoma's eyes, that he had lost the most important person in his life. His eyes looked empty off all the life he used to have in them. Tezuka remembered Ryoma as a short cheeky kid who wouldn't go down without a fight. His smart remarks, the way he never gave up, the way he talked even when he was about to lose but managed to turn it around in the blink of an eye. Tezuka had amitted to himself, that he himself missed the Ryoma.

Ryoma didn't look back, he approached the table where his mother's remains remained in a beautiful brown urn. He looked over at his dad, who looked back at him. Ryoma nodded slowly to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Nanjirou looked tiredly down at the table and then he looked at the picture in his hands. He sat the picture behind the urn on the table for viewing. He then placed a hand on Ryoma's back and they went and sat down in the front.

Everyone else found a seat and sat down to listen to the reading of the will. It was so silent in the room, that you would be able to hear a pen drop to the floor.

Meanwhile Laura was rushing to the funeral home. She had her pen and notebook on her, along with her voice recorder. She wasn't going to record anything though. She knew better than that, it was just wrong to include that in her report.

She slowed down as she neared the funeral home. She walked inside and stood in the back. She wore sunglasses and a black bonnette to hide from Ryoma, knowing he'd recognize her with her blonde hair.

Tezuka glanced over at the blonde haired woman who enteredand then went back to looking ahead.

Laura showed her respects and then she went and stood in the lobby and waited for everyone to come out.

While she was waiting, she sat down and brought out her voice recorder and took out the picture she had bought off a high school fan of Ryoma's, who had taken a picture of him leaving out of the restaurant.

She turned on the voice recorder and cleared her throat. "This is Laura Elric. I am currently inside of the funeral home where the famous professional tennis player, Ryoma Echizen's, mother is having her memorial survice. I have yet to actually speak with Ryoma Echizen again. What is his reason for coming back to Japan, how did this accident happen? Did Ryoma return for his mother death, or is it something else?" she said into the voice recorder and then turned it off and put it in her purse as people started walking out.

Tezuka was one of the first ones out since he was in the back with the others. They sighed and gathered over against a wall, waiting for Ryoma and Nanjirou to come out, to apologize for their loss.

Laura looked at the guys and then she remembered some of the faces on one of the sport magazines. It was Japan's number 1 team, Seigaku's team. She tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder and took out a mini camera and then took a picture of them, without the flash on, and put the camera back into her purse.

She stood up and left the building. She would ask around the local highschool's to see where the boys were attending now. She had to get this scoop. She looked at the picture on the camera. Her eyes fell on Tezuka's stone like face.

_'He might be the one to give me the answers I want...along with all the others. I must find out where they go to school at now.'_ she thought and bit her thumb lightly.

Meanwhile Ryoma was walking out beside his Dad. He sighed and looked at his old friends, who looked back at him.

Nanjirou looked into Ryoma's eyes and nodded. "Go son." he said and patted his back and walked out of the building. He got into the car and it drove off. He wanted some time to himself.

Ryoma watched his father leave and then slowly turned and walked to his old friends. He stood in front of them, now able to look at them properly since he was around their heights.

Oishi cleared his throat and looked at Ryoma. "Echizen...uh...sorry for your loss. Rinko-san was such a nice woman. She was really kind to us." he said.

Tezuka nodded. "We're all sorry for your loss, Echizen. If there is anything that we can do...please only ask us." he said.

Ryoma looked at them and said nothing. He then sighed and closed his eyes and opened them back up. "Thanks." he said and then turned and started to walk out of the building.

"Wait, Ochibi...ah I mean Echizen...how about you come hang out with us, we are going out to dinner. Why don't you join us?" Eiji asked putting a hand on Ryoma's shoulder.

Ryoma looked at the hand on his shoulder and then to Eiji. "Don't want to." he muttered and moved away from his touch.

Eiji and the others exchanged glances and then smiled and nodded. They ran forward, all but Tezuka, and secured to slightly shorter male and carried him out to a van and they all piled in.

Ryoma felt himself being lifted off the ground. He sighed and gave an annoyed look.

Eiji laughed. "Now that is more like your usual look." he laughed and sat beside Ryoma.

Ryoma looked at Eiji. "Annoying." he muttered and Eiji laughed.

Ryoma looked out the window. "You guys never change." he whispered and closed his eyes.

Oishi smiled back to him in the rear-view mirror and chuckled. "I wish we could say the same. You have got taller, did you fill up on milk?" he laughed.

Ryoma opened his eyes. "Not really." he said quietly.

Oishi smiled again. _'We need to loosen him up some.'_ he thought.

Eiji then laughed and pat Ryoma on the head. "So Ochibi, how old are you now?" he asked as he made that cat like smile on his face.

Ryoma looked around as they passed buildings. "Nineteen." he mumbled.

Oishi blinked. "So many years have gone buy." he said smiling.

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah." he mumbled and sighed as they pulled up at the old Sushi place that Kawamura's dad owned and managed.

Ryoma got out along with the others and looked around. "It's been awhile." he said and looked around. "It looks like it has got more buisness these days." he said.

Kawamura nodded and blushed. "Yeah, we've been bringing in a lot of customers lately." he said.

Momoshiro grinned and lightly elbowed Ryoma to get his attention. "Yeah, Kawamura's girlfriend attracts a lot of customers." he said.

Kawamura got even redder. "Ah Momo-san, please cut it out." he laughed nervously, just like he always had.

Ryoma decided to grin and bear it. He wouldn't make them pity him.

"Hmmmm, you've got a girlfriend? You actually managed to ask her out without passing out?" he grinned.

The other's smiled at him, knowing he was trying to hide what he was really feeling.

Eiji laughed and walked to Ryoma. "I know, you should have totally seen him Ochibi, he was stuttering like crazy, but then Momo-chan gave him his tennis racket and it was on!" he laughed.

The others shrugged and they all walked inside, decided to let Ryoma protect himself, for now at least.

Tezuka walked in and they were shown to a table. Kawamura's dad closed down the rest of the shop so they could eat.

Ryoma sat down on the mats on the floor at a table and the others settled around the table along side of him.

Kawamura brought out some trays that his father prepared. He sat the food down and handed chopsticks to everyone.

Sakuno arrived then and sat down beside her grandmother.

Ryoma had spoken to her at the funeral, and when she heard they were coming back to this restaurant, she followed along.

Ryoma pulled apart his chopsticks and then he began eating.

Sakuno moved over to the table that Ryoma was at and sat down. Her grandmother did the same. Now everyone was at one table, talking and goofing off.

Ryoma ate quietly and talked with Momoshiro, just like he always did.

Everyone was getting along well...but they couldn't help but wonder where Ryoma went those four years.

Sakuno's grandmother cleared her throat and the table went quiet.

"Ryoma...I know that now is probably not the time...but I just wanted to know where you were these four years." she said.

Ryoma kept eating and he sighed. "I was in America, I have been there during those four years." he said.

Tezuka listened carefully along with the others.

"Ryoma-san, what have you been doing? I'm sure you've been playing tennis still, even if you weren't on t.v." she said smiling.

Ryoma stopped eating and he looked around the table and then went back to eating. "I quit tennis." he mumbled.

Everyone around the table gasped.

"Why, Echizen? Are you alright, did you bump your head while you were in America?" Momoshiro asked leaning over towards him. "You are joking right, haha it's alright it's just a joke, Echizen wouldn't quit!" he laughed. "Don't joke like that Echizen." he said.

Ryoma stopped eating and looked at Momoshiro. "I'm not joking. I really quit." he stated again and then went back to eating.

Sakuno stared in shock into her lap. "No way...but you were so good at it." she whispered.

Eiji sat back and leaned back on his hands. "Ochibi." he whispered as well.

Ryoma stood up. "It's getting late, I have things to do." he said and then laid some money out on the table. "Thanks for the food." he said and turned and walked out.

Tezuka got up and followed him and caught his shoulder. "Wait, Echizen...does it have something to do with that scar on your leg...I saw it." he said.

Ryoma looked straight ahead and shook his head. "No, I just quit that's all. Is it that hard to accept?" he asked and brushed his hand off and walked down the street.

Tezuka watched him leave and put his hand in his pocket. He turned and went back inside the restaurant where the others were piled against the door listening in. They all fell back and Tezuka looked down at them and shook his head. "You guys." he mumbled.

Fuji smiled and laughed from his spot. He didn't listen in, instead he ate his wasabi filled sushi. He smiled and watched as Tezuka sat next to him. "What do you think, Tezuka?" he asked as he ate another bite.

Tezuka glanced at Fuji. "I don't know. I want to know what happened." he said.

Fuji smiled and opened his eyes. "Hmm, is this really Tezuka speaking, usually you could care less." he said and closed his eyes again and ate another bite.

Tezuka looked at Fuji. "What about you, you don't seem interested at all." he said.

Fuji shrugged. "It's his buisness and whatever it is, he will figure it out. It is afterall Echizen." he said.

Tezuka picked up a piece of sushi and ate a bite and shook his head. "No, not this time." he said.

Fuji stopped eating and looked at him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Tezuka looked at Fuji and leaned in a little closer. "He has a long scar on his leg...I'm not to sure, but I think it has something to do with that." he said.

Fuji opened his eyes. "A scar?" he asked.

Tezuka nodded and ate another bite. "I saw it when he was changing back into his clothes after our coaching class." he said.

Fuji nodded. "Well did you ask him?" he asked.

Tezuka stopped eating and looked at Fuji. "No, it's none of my buisness." he said.

Momoshiro came over to where Fuji and Tezuka were having a quiet conversation.

"Huuu, what do you two know?" he asked, reffering to Ryoma.

Tezuka looked at Momoshiro and then noticed that the table had everyone sitting around it now. He cleared his throat and went back to eating.

"Come on, tell us. You know something Captain." Eiji said and leaned over the table.

Tezuka looked around, seeing that everyone was insisting on hearing something.

He cleared his throat and sighed. "I think, not to sure, but I have a feeling that the scar on Ryoma's leg has something to do with his quitting tennis. I'm not sure so don't go bothering him." he said.

Momoshiro sat back and relaxed and sighed. "I see...we have to find out, and whatever it is, we need to help him get back on track." he said. "I can't stand to see him like this." he whispered.

Eiji nodded. "I agree with Momo-chan. We need to figure out what happened, and how we can help him." he said.

Tezuka nodded. "I don't think it will be best to send all of us." he said. He thought for a moment.

Ryuzaki, Sakuno's grandmother, spoke up then, "We need to send someone who is calm, and could ease him into opening up...Momoshiro is to hyped up and Eiji is to jumpy. Inui is to robotic, Kaidoh looks evil all the time, Kawamura is shy...Tezuka you're to stiff...Oishi you are to kind...Fuji...that's it! Fuji, you have calm composure!" she said.

Fuji waved his hands out in front of him. "I don't think this is a good idea." he said.

Eiji went and wrapped his arms around Fuji's shoulder. "Oh come on~! You are perfect, you can get Ochibi to speak!" he said.

Tezuka nodded. "You are the best suited for this. You should do it Fuji." he said. "Do whatever you have to." he said.

Fuji sighed. "Alright, Alright." he mumbled and got up. "I will go catch up to him." he said and left.

Meanwhile, Ryoma was walking through the town, not to far from the restaurant, since it had only been about twenty minutes. He was just wandering around town, finally letting himself relax from the day. He thought about his mother, when he was younger and they lived in England for a year. He sighed and closed his eyes and imagined his mother's face, how caring she was.

He missed her terribly and wanted to see her again, if only for a moment. He sighed and walked down the street a little further and went and sat in the park. It was late afternoon and people were beginning to pack up and leave the park.

He heard footsteps come up beside him. The guys sat down beside him and said nothing.

Ryoma saw who it was from the corner of his eyes. "Fuji-sempai." he mumbled.

Fuji smiled over at him. "Echizen." he said softly.

Ryoma sighed. "So what, did they send you to dig up my secrets?" he asked.

Fuji sighed and laughed. "Nothing gets by you, does it?" he asked smiling and watching the water fountain in the park spew up water in shapes.

Ryoma shrugged. "Don't bother, I have no intention of telling anything, I told you all, I quit because I wanted to." he said.

Fuji sighed. "That's what you say...but we know you much better than that. There has to be a reason." he said.

Ryoma got up. "Then aparantly you don't know me at all." he said. "Because I have decided to quit, I just got tired of it." he said.

Fuji opened his eyes and stood as well and stood in front of Ryoma. "I know better than that, you can't hide forever Ryoma." he said.

Ryoma looked back into Fuji's opened eyes. "I'm not hiding." he mumbled and turned and began walking away.

Fuji followed him, "Then why did you not tell anyone you were back, and why were you using the name Ryou?" he asked.

Ryoma stopped and turned to Fuji. "Simple, because I wanted to." he mumbled and went back to walking.

Fuji still followed him and sighed. "I won't pry anymore...but I will not let you be alone right now. You just lost your mom, Echizen...and you are acting as if it doesn't matter." he said.

Ryoma stopped short, causing Fuji to bump into him. "Are you implying that I don't care that she is gone?" he asked looking back over his shoulder.

Fuji took a step back to give him space. "No, you are just acting like you don't. The others might fall for it, but I won't." he said.

Ryoma went back to walking. "Why are you still following me?" he asked.

Fuji smiled. "Because, I don't want you to be alone. Want to go somewhere?" he asked.

Ryoma slowed walking to a much calmer pace. "Not really." he muttered.

Fuji smiled. "Then let me take you somewhere." he said. "It's a secret though, so don't tell anyone about the place I am about to take you to." he said.

Ryoma said nothing and just let Fuji take him to wherever the place was.

They walked for another fifteen minutes, through the woods and out to what looked like a a lake.

"Here we are." Fuji said and sat down by the lake side.

Ryoma looked around, it was a really beautiful view. "I didn't know such a place existed." he mumbled and sat down.

Fuji nodded and crawled over to the water and dipped his hand inside. "Come feel, it feels amazing." he said.

Ryoma hesitated for a minute and then went over to where Fuji was and leaned over the bank and put his hand in. It was indeed cool, it felt relaxing as small ripples pulsed around his hand.

Fuji smiled as he saw Ryoma relax just a little. He sat up and then laid back against the grass. "Lay back and relax some more." he sighed.

Ryoma thought about it for a moment before laying back a few feet away from Fuji and looked up at the twilight sky, the sun was setting and the first stars were coming out.

Fuji said nothing the whole time. He simply laid there with Ryoma, helping him relax in his own way. "The night sky looks splendid tonight, doesn't it?" he asked. He waited for Ryoma's answer, but it never came. He sat up and smiled as he saw a sleeping Ryoma.

Ryoma was laying on his stomach, sleeping.

Fuji smiled and looked at him and then got up and walked over and sat beside him and watched him sleep for a moment. He then remembered what Tezuka said. He quietly went down to Ryoma's legs and raised the pants leg to his left leg, nothing was there.

He then looked at Ryoma's right leg. _'It must be that one.'_ he thought. He quietly and slowly lifted it up and his eyes opened and he stared at the scar. His eyes followed it to his ankle. He looked up and slid his pants leg up to where the scar stopped on his leg. It stopped at the top of his knees. He looked at it in thought. He could tell by the color of the scar that it had happened recently. And it was straight, so he knew it was a surgery.

He pulled the pants leg back down and sighed and left him alone for a minute before softly shaking him.

"Echizen, it's dark. We should get going." he said as he watched Ryoma yawn and sit up.

Ryoma looked around and then up to the sky. "Yeah." he said and stood up and brushed himself off.

Fuji did the same and then they headed back the way they came. A few minutes later they made it back onto the road and they walked back through town.

Fuji was walking Ryoma to his house, well following him. He noticed that Ryoma didn't seem to mind to much, so he did it.

Ryoma yawned as he walked down the street that led to his apartment. He stopped in his tracks when he turned the corner and saw a clump of people, standing in front of his parent's house. He ran forward, followed by a startled Fuji and approached the gates.

"What are you people doing here?" he yelled and the crowd went quiet for a bit.

Fuji stood beside Ryoma and looked at the things the people was carrying.

Fuji saw a newspaper in one of their hands and he took it and red over the headlines and he frowned. "Echizen, take a look at this." he whispered and handed the paper to Ryoma.

Ryoma looked at Fuji and then down at the paper and his stomach sank. He saw a picture of himself being guided out of the restaurant on the night of the reunion. He read over the words:

**ECHIZEN RYOMA SPOTTED IN JAPAN!**

**By: Laura Elric**

**Tuesday July 15, 2012**

On Tuesday night at the new restaurant, Chisao's Sushi Bar and Grill, just opened up on the corner of Tokyo square and was holding a High School Reunion Party for Seigaku High. All was going smoothly at the party when a police escort arrived to pick up the Professional Tennis player, Echizen Ryoma. Reporters have yet to figure out what Echizen is doing back in Japan, and why he dissapeared four years ago. We have connections that have told us that Ryoma was being escorted to the hospital on the night of the Reunion to his dying mother, who had just went through terrible accident, that later that night, claimed her life. The funeral was held in quietness. Fans have gathered around the Echizen residents to show their support for the long missed Pro. Will Ryoma Echizen return to the courts for his loving fans?

...

Ryoma balled up the paper and he then began to chase off all the people around his father's place.

"Get out of here!" he yelled.

The people looked at Ryoma and then the papers and they gasped and then camera flashes began.

Ryoma shielded his eyes from all the flashes. Reporters stepped forward with microphones and cameras.

"Echizen Ryoma, what is your reason for returning to Japan? Why have you been in hiding these four years?" they asked.

Ryoma was drowned in questions after questions. He turned to Fuji and turned him away from the crowd so his face wouldn't be revealed. "You should go, I am going to make a run for it and make them follow me, you go home and make sure to keep you face out of the camera's light." he said.

Fuji nodded. "Alright, see you later." he said and ran off while Ryoma ran in the other direction.

Ryoma ran around the corner as fast as he could and hid in an alley and watched as some reporters ran past. He sighed when they all passed and then he went to his apartment and walked inside and locked the door.

What he didn't know, was that a blonde haired woman, was watching him. She smirked.

"You can't hide that easily, Echizen Ryoma. I will see your friends tomorrow. I will get this story!" she said and then turned and walked away laughing.

Ryoma sighed and went and flumped on his bed and got under the covers. He dreaded school tomorrow...so much.

**A/N: That is all for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. Once again I would like to thank ****Lanashe**** for helping me with some ideas on this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW~! Next chapter, Laura shows up at the university and approaches Ryoma's old friends!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again everyone~! I know you must be worked up by now! XD Sorry for not updating for a bit, I had a lot of work to do and I am thinking about teaching art sometime soon :D Anyway~! Here is the much awaited chapter! Enjoy and please read and Review~!**

**NOTE: There will be some slight out of character moments with Ryoma and Fuji in this chapter! Just letting you guys know so you won't shoot me over it .**

**His Endurance 7**

Ryoma sighed as he rolled out of bed the next morning. He glanced at the clock and grumbled. He had overslept big time, school had already let out by now.

He got up and went into the kitchen to find something to make for breakfast. He opened the refridgerator and sighed once again, there wasn't anything breakfast worthy food in there, so he got dressed and headed out to town.

Ryoma looked around for a place that would sooth his hunger. He smiled with a little bitterness in him, he would miss the meals that is mother made for him. He wondered what his father would do now that the love of his life was gone. He grumbled as he walked inside a hamburger place, not exactly the healthiest meal at the moment, but he didn't really care.

Meanwhile a certain green-tinted haired guy, had arrived at the Narita Airport. He pushed his sunglasses up on his head and then grabbed his bags of the belt and then walked out of the airport.

"Ah, it is to bright." he grumbled and bit into a juicy orange. He smiled and put a white cap on his head with the letter R printed in red on the front, he had recieved it from his little brother after their battle on the fake cruise ship back a couple of years ago. He had always kept it, he knew he wouldn't see his little brother again for awhile, only on television.

He pulled out a piece of paper and looked at some directions that were scribbled on them. He took another bite of his orange and put the paper back in his pocket and headed to his adoptive father's house.

The boy took out a cellphone from his pocket and dialed the first contact and waited for the other end to answer.

_"Echizen residents."_ said Nanjirou, his voice heavy with depression.

"Hey, old man. It's me, Ryouga. I am here in town...I just heard about mom from one of sponsers. I'm on my way to your house now." he said to his father.

_"Ryouga? Is it really you? Che! You brat, always showing up late. Well I am glad you are here...I will be waiting for you." _

"Sorry, I would have been here sooner, had I had known. Oh yeah, have you seen Ochibi, he hasn't been on t.v in years." he asked.

Nanjirou paused on the other end for a moment. _"Er, yeah...he is staying at an apartment down the road. He is coming to the house this afternoon to pick up his share of his mother's things. If you want to wait here untill he gets here, that would be great. I'm sure he would be glad to see you again."_

Ryouga pondered what the possible reason for the pause at the beginning was for, but he shook it off. "Yeah, that sounds great. I will see you soon, bye bye." he said and hung up his phone and walked down the street to the bus stop.

...

On the other hand, Ryoma was just now leaving the restaurant now. He was full and bored. He made sure to remind himself that he was supposed to be at his father's house to eat dinner with him and his eldest cousin, Yoshiyuki.

He yawned and decided to kill some time before heading there. It was three in the afternoon and he had no clue how to kill his time. He just walked around aimlessly until he stumbled across a park. It was the same park that he and Fuji had passed two days ago.

He kept walking until he saw a small opening path in the woods, only visible to those who had actually seen it up close. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching, after all Fuji had said it was a secret place, so he didn't want to ruin it for him. He walked inside the pathway when he saw nobody was paying attention. He walked until he reached the shimmering river.

Ryoma was stunned to see a familiar brunette laying near the water fast asleep. He looked so relaxed, so at peace that Ryoma was almost envious. He sat down quietly and gazed at the brunette and then he turned his gaze towards the water and sighed, causing the sleepy guy to stir and sit up.

"Echizen?" Fuji said, a little groggy from sleeping.

"You know it is bad for your health to fall asleep outside, and near a damp lake a that." Ryoma said.

Fuji smiled. "Then I am glad that you came along when you did, I sure can't afford to get sick when exams are this close by." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah." he said. He looked at Fuji and looked away startled when he realized the brunette was staring at him.

Fuji chuckled and then got up and went and sat closer by Ryoma. "So what brings you here? Is there something you need to talk about. The water isn't the only good listener around. I'm all ears as well...that is if you trust me and need me." he said opening his eyes and looking into Ryoma's. It was rare that you saw Fuji open his eyes completely, it means he was serious.

Ryoma was almost speechless as those blue-green eyes stared so deeply into his own gold ones.

Fuji smiled and looked at him, not closing his eyes, knowing that it threw the boy off guard. "Echizen, please don't be afraid to tell me." he whispered.

Ryoma opened his mouth, shocked that he was actually going to go along with Fuji. "I am confused." he said, unable to hold back. There was just something about Fuji that made him want to speak, he felt drawn to his eyes, his heart was racing, and he didn't know why.

Fuji smiled and leaned in closer to Ryoma. "What are you confused about, Echizen?" he asked.

Ryoma almost shuddered as Fuji said his name, it sounded velvety and sweet. "About...I don't want to talk about it." he said.

Fuji sighed and smiled. "I am fine with that, I will wait until you are ready." he said and sat back a little.

Ryoma nodded. "Did you make home without any harrassment last night?" he asked.

Fuji nodded and smiled. "I had no trouble at all, I managed to lose some reporters at the first turn." he said. "What about you? Is your leg alright, you had to run, I bet that was difficult." he said.

Ryoma stared in shock and he then got up and was turning to leave, but Fuji caught his wrist.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line. I didn't mean anything bad about it. I was just worried...and I saw it the last time we were here." he said.

Ryoma looked down at Fuji and sighed and sat back down. "You saw." he sighed and half groaned.

Fuji smiled. "It's not like it is something to hide. I mean you have your reasons and secrets, and I respect that." he said.

Ryoma sighed. "It's not...that I really mind that people see it. I just don't want any rumors going around." he sighed.

Fuji nodded. "I understand that." he said. "Echizen...can you tell me what exactly happened?" he asked.

Ryoma glanced at him. "I don't really want to." he said. "More like I am to lazy to tell it." he said.

Fuji smiled and chuckled a little. "Would you do it for a kiss?" he asked winking.

Ryoma's head jerked to face him. "S-sempai!" he said and looked away.

Fuji smiled. "I was just kidding." he said smiling.

Ryoma nodded, not so sure, and then sighed. "Four years ago...I was playing in a match, not a recorded match, just a match with some ignorant street guys who were bullying these two women." he began.

Fuji leaned in closely to listen.

Ryoma sighed, seeing as he was in to deep to turn back now, he continued on...

-**Flashback-**

_"Hey ladies~! How about you chicks come chill with us and we will teach you some tennis."_ _ a gruffy looking man said and closed in on to young teenage girls._

_Ryoma threw his ball up in the air and hit it, connecting perfectly with the guys head._

_The guy fell over and rubbed his head and then turned instantly to find the source of the now knot on his head. His eyes fell on Ryoma and he hissed._

_"Damn you brat! What do you want this time?" he said, obviously he had encountered Ryoma once before. He had lost to Ryoma in a match on televison._

_Ryoma smirked and looked up at the slightly taller buff guy. "You are still messing with these ladies, can't you tell they aren't into old men like you?" he said with that same cheeky grin._

_The man hissed. "How dare you insult the great, Matthew Everette!" he said in a strong english voice._

_Ryoma waved his hand in front of his face. "It seems like someone has had a little to much to drink today." he said smirking._

_The man grabbed Ryoma up by the collar of his shirt. "Don't get cocky just 'cause you beat me you damn brat. I could eaisly beat you in a game right now! I wasn't feeling well that day!" he yelled._

_Ryoma raised an eyebrow and smirked again. "Why don't you put your money with your mouth is. Tell you what, if I win, you can take my place in the next World Competition match next month." he said. "But if I win, you will cover my expenses to travel to Japan to see my family, and you will buy my meals for the next four months." he said._

_The man snarled and sat him down. "Agreed." he said smirking and looking at his friends, who had been nearby. He winked to them and went to his side of the court._

_The game began and the two guys battled in tennis. _

_"Four games to love!" announced one of the girls that the man had been pestering._

_Matthew was huffing, he looked over at his friends and nodded and then turned back and got ready for Ryoma's next serve._

_Ryoma smirked and tossed the ball up and hit it. He watched as Matthew struggled to return it, he managed to hit it._

_Ryoma was running to catch the ball on the other side of his court and he saw the two friends of Matthew's pouring something on the field, it was broken glass bottles and beads._

_Before Ryoma could stop, he had slid on the beads and his leg twisted and he felt a white hot pain from his knee to his ankle on his right leg._

_He heard a scream, but it took him a moment to realize it was his. The court began to pool with blood as a part of his shin bone was sticking out of his leg. The girls got help and the guys ran off. Ryoma was taken away to the hospital where they put the bone back inside his skin, but it didn't heal properly._

_-__**END OF FLASHBACK-**_

Fuji stared emotionless at Ryoma, he couldn't really say much, he was suprised at the moment.

"So what happened then?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma sighed. "Well here we are four years later. My shin bone did not heal the way it was supposed to, so I had surgery on it 5 months ago to get a plate installed in so that my knee would move right and my shin would grow back normally. Everything is fine now." he said.

Fuji nodded. "I see...but if everything is fine...why aren't you playing tennis anymore?" he asked.

Ryoma sighed. "I don't really know myself." he whispered. "I guess I just don't think I have it in me." he said.

Fuji looked at Ryoma and shook his head. "Echizen if there is one thing I know about you, is that, never, don't and , can't, isn't in your dictionary. You were always the one who kept pressing on. The famous rookie of Seigaku...you were just simply side tracked, but you still have it Echizen. You are in fear that that will happen again. Have faith in yourself Ryoma...if you ever go to fall again on the court...I will catch you...we all will hold you up." he whispered.

Ryoma looked at Fuji in shock and he then sighed and smiled. "Alright...One more chance...that is it...but I don't want anyone to know about it...just me and you...help me get back to who I was...and who I want to be." he said.

Fuji smiled. "That's more like it." he said.

Ryoma sighed and stood up along with Fuji. "I need to get going, my father is expecting me for dinner." he said.

Fuji smiled. "I understand. Do you want to come by my place afterwards? I have my own apartment now." he said.

Ryoma shrugged. "Sure, why not." he said and they turned to walk out of the woods. "One more thing...don't tell any of what I told you to the others...not even the part where I am going to start practicing again." he said.

Fuji smiled. "Alright." he said.

Ryoma looked at him. "Promise?" he asked.

Fuji smiled and took a small step forward and cupped Ryoma's cheek and leaned down a little and kissed Ryoma's lips. "Take that as my promise." he said and winked and walked away.

Ryoma was frozen to the spot. He reached up and felt his lips, which were tingling. He was blushing as he walked down the street. _'A kiss.'_ he thought.

Fuji smiled and walked home. He was happy that he finally got to kiss his long time of a crush. He walked into his house and got ready for when Ryoma was coming over, he was getting some training menu's together to help Ryoma with getting back on track physically and mentally.

Meanwhile at the Echizen resident, Ryouga and Nanjirou were talking back and forth to each other while Yoshiyuki cooked.

Ryoma couldn't wait for the dinner to be over once he had arrived. He was strangly eager to go to his Sempai's house...

**Well that is it for this chapter! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! If you don't I will be sad TT^TT You don't want to make Ritsuka-chan sad do you? 7_7 Please review XD UP NEXT: Ryoma's visit to Fuji's house XD Things start getting a little warm when the two start doing some excersising right away :D OwO Will this excersing turn into something more heart speeding? Find out next XD **

**!WARNING! RATED M CONTENT IS TO COME IN VERY CLOSE CHAPTERS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! DON'T LIKE, KINDLY LEAVE NOW! THANK YOU! w**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again everyone~ Sorry for this really late chapter, I have got some more good reviews, thank you everyone! :D well Here goes, as promised the next chapter~! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Ryoma hurried as he washed up the dinner plates that they ate out of, he was really eager to go to Fuji's for some reason. His heart was racing at the thought, it felt strange and he knew it was kinda weird to feel this way when you are going to a guy's place.

He sighed and dried up the last dish and put it away. He went and told his relatives goodbye and then walked down the street towards his Sempai's place. He broke into a brisky walk as he neared the slightly older male's apartment complex.

Ryoma reached into his pocket and looked at the numbers written on it. He then looked up to the second floor and strained his eyes a little and spotted the numbers that were on the paper. He didn't know why, but a small smile played across his lips. He put the paper back into his pocket and headed for the stairs.

He climbed up the stairs eagerly and walked to the door with the same numbers as the paper, and knocked on it a few times and listened for any sound that the other side would produce.

There was a few noises from behind the door, followed by it opening. Fuji stepped out of the door and smiled.

"You found it, come on in." he said and stepped aside and let Ryoma into his home.

Ryoma nodded and stepped in and removed his shoes before stepping up onto the wooden floor. He looked around the place in interest. It was just as he thought it would be, not to big, not to small. It looked well lived in and it was warm inside. The curtains in the livingroom were a dark shaded blue. In the center of the livingroom was a couch around the same color, but just a few shades brighter.

In the corner of the room was a flat screen t.v playing a tennis re-run game. He let his eyes trail over to the kitchen which was done up neatly and had something brewing on the stove, which he assumed to be tea.

Fuji was behind him a few second later. "Please make yourself comfortable." he said and walked into the livingroom and turned down the television. "Please sit and we will get started." he said smiling at him.

Ryoma hesitated for a minute and then walked over to a smaller looking couch across from the other one. The two couches were seperated by a centerpiece table. He looked across the space and over at Fuji who was writing some things down on a clipboard.

Ryoma looked at Fuji's brown hair. He had to shake the want to reach over and touch it's silky strands. A few second later he was staring into some ice blue eyes, which starlted him and caused him to look away.

"Echizen, I hope you know that this process isn't going to be painless. Your leg may cause some problems while we get you used to moving it around a lot again." he said.

Ryoma cleared his throat a little and nodded. "Alright." he said, not looking at the brunette but at what was written on the paper. It looked like a well thought out training menu.

Fuji let a small smile slip onto his face. "Well let's get started right away. First we need to stretch your legs." he said. "Did you bring something comfortable to wear?" he asked.

Ryoma swallowed some and then nodded. "Yeah." he said, getting up. "Where is your bathroom, I will change." he said.

Fuji stood up and pointed to the door near the kitchen. "It's down the hall, the last door on the right." he said.

Ryoma nodded and grabbed his gym bag and then headed to the bathroom. He walked in and looked around. It looked clean, really clean. He smiled, everything about this house seemed so like Fuji. It almost reminded him of the time that they had all went to a camp back in middle school. He remembered how Fuji wouldn't sit down on the floor of the bath without giving it a good wash first. He was a very neat and clean person, just like his personality.

He sighed and then tugged down his black pants and pulled on, not a pair of pants, but some shorts. Since Fuji had already seen it, there wasn't really a need to hide it anymore. He looked into the mirror and began to fix his hair. He then froze and shuddered and ruffled his hair up to make it look slightly messy. _'What am I doing, fixing my hair like a love-struck little girl!'_ he thought and then rinsed his face and walked out, trying to look calm and composed.

Fuji was pulling two stretch mats out of a closet in the livingroom, he also pulled out a treadmill and some arm weights and leg weights.

Ryoma blinked and shrugged and walked over to him. He helped him pull the treadmill out some and then helped him set up the mats.

Fuji smiled and then turned on a radio and sat it near the clear area of the livingroom. The livingroom was pretty big so they had some extra room to move around in.

Fuji smiled. "Well first how about trying to do some crunches?" he asked.

Ryoma nodded and laid back on the mats and then bent his knee's and placed his arms behind his head. He held his breath as Fuji got on his knee's and placed his hands on his feet and held them down.

Fuji smiled. "Alright, let's just take it slow, we don't want to over work yourself, let's work slowly to get you back to were you used to be." he said.

Ryoma paused. "You make it seem like I turned into an elderly man." he said, causing a small chuckle to come from the older male's throat.

"Well Echizen, it has been awhile since you've actually worked out, has it not?" he asked.

Ryoma stuck his tounge out and then came up. He came up easily the first one-hundered.

Fuji was surprised that Ryoma was still able to do crunches like that. "You must have still been working out." he said.

Ryoma shrugged. "It was a hard habit to quit so I continued to at least work on my upper body strength...but when it comes to my legs, they are not as strong as they used to be by far, and one of them won't be getting that much better in strength either." he sighed.

Fuji smiled. "Then we will just have to come up with a stradegy that will not require the movement of your leg that was hurt. But eventually we will build it up to be as strong as your other." he said.

Ryoma sighed and nodded. "You're the trainer." he mumbled and sighed once again.

Fuji chuckled and nodded. "You might be a little sore in the morning, but you will get used to it as we go along." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "I sort of figured that much." he said.

Fuji laughed and they got back to exercising. After the two of them had stretched, Fuji showed Ryoma over to the treadmill.

"Alright, we will start off on a simple resistance at first." he said.

Ryoma nodded and got on the treadmille and turned it on and set it to one resistance. He then began to walk. After walking that for ten minutes, Fuji bumped it up to three.

Ryoma began to walk a little faster each ten minutes, until he was at six. He was now in a light jog. He could feel his legs burning. His old injury felt still and it felt as if it would tear open at any minute. He groaned slightly but kept up the light jog until the ten minutes was over.

Fuji cut off the treadmill after the ten minutes of light jogging was over. "I can see that we will need to hold off on the weights for a little bit, you still need some time. I can tell that you are a little afraid, Echizen. You are afraid to strain your leg, I know it must hurt, but trust me, as time goes on and you keep this up, you will be back to yourself, if not stronger." he said.

Ryoma panted and took a few gulps out of the water bottle that Fuji had handed him after he had gotten off the treadmill.

Fuji smiled. "Oh and one more thing, you need to get back to eating a balanced and good nutrition meal.

Ryoma sighed. "Alright, anything else?" he asked.

Fuji nodded. "Yeah, I can tell that this scar is fading slightly. That is the sign of healing. I am sure that if you keep going...and if you forget your fear of hurting your body again...it will completely dissapear." he said.

Ryoma raised a brow. "You actually believe silly superstions?" he asked.

Fuji chuckled. "I am not like that, but you never know, an old wives tale could be breal some day." he said.

Ryoma shrugged. "If you say so." he said. "What are we doing next?" he asked.

Fuji smiled and sat down on the couch. "That is it for today, but tomorrow I need you to meet me at the park in town after our classes are finished. But since...you just lost your mom, you can stay out for a day or two until you are able to go back, if you want." he said.

Ryoma shook his head. "My mom...if she were alive would probably choke me for missing a day of class." he said.

Fuji smiled. "That may be true, but she wouldn't want you to stress yourself either, come to school tomorrow if you feel up to it." he said.

Ryoma nodded and then grabbed his gym bag. "Is that it for today?" he asked.

Fuji smiled and walked over to Ryoma, they were only about two feet apart. "One moment." he whispered while near Ryoma.

Ryoma felt chills rush up through his spine and limbs. Having Fuji this close was making him nervous and slightly shy for some reason.

"S-sempai?" he asked in wonder.

Fuji smiled. "I just wanted to remind you that I wouldn't tell anyone about...our secret training, and to be careful." he said and winked.

Ryoma hid his blush by turning around and heading for the door. He waved with his back turned to him and then walked out.

He walked slowly on his way home, it was pretty dark outside and he didn't want to trip over anything. He looked up at the sky as he walked and sighed. He had stopped walking for a few minutes and just looked up at the now brightly shining stars.

_'Ka-san...are you watching me...I will try and keep our promise...give me strength to get back to my old self.'_ he thought. He sighed and brought his eyes back in front of him only to be flashed in the eyes by a bright light.

Once again the annoying journalist was standing in front of him.

"Hello again, Echizen Ryoma, you have hidden yourself well these past two days, but now that I have found you, I'd like to ask you a few questions." the woman said and brought out her recorder.

Ryoma stared at the woman as if he were trying to see through her. "And you are?" he asked.

The woman shifted in aggitation. "It's me, Laura, from the plane." she said, annoyance heavy in her voice.

Ryoma thought for a moment and then realization lit up his face. "Ah, I remember. What do you want?" he asked.

Laura brushed her blone hair off of her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip. "I want to ask you a few questions." she said.

Ryoma grumbled and then turned slightly and walked around her and headed out into town. He wasn't about to let this woman find out where he lived, he would never see any peace of mind then.

Laura followed him with her heals clickling onto the sidewalk. "You and I both know that if you would just answer my questions, things would be easier for the both of us, you will have a page in the news paper and I will get the scoop of the month." she said.

Ryoma stopped walking, they were under a light post. The light shown over the both of them. He turned to meet her face to face.

"Listen,lady, I do not want a page in the newspaper. I have enough to handle enough. I do not even want to get involved with anything right now." he said.

Laura shifted to her other heel and then turned on the voice recorder. "So Ryoma, are you planning to returning to the courts once again?" she asked.

Ryoma looked at this woman like she was crazy. "Didn't you hear what I just said, you know usually when people say that, that means they aren't going to answer your questions." he said.

Laura glared at him in determination. "So Ryoma, do you intend on going public with your decision on returning or not soon?" she asked persistantly.

Ryoma started walking away from her.

Laura followed him and picked up the pace a little so they were walking almost at the same pace, which was slowly increasing.

"Echizen-san do you have anything to share about your personal life, where did you go to middle school, how are you coping with the loss of your mother." she asked as the tape kept recording.

Ryoma kept walking, trying to ignore her questions, but his patience was slowly running out.

"No comment." he said, irritation was thick in his voice.

Laura cleared her throat, not willing to give up. "Echizen-san, do you plan on going into any more tournaments in the near future?" she asked.

Ryoma grit his teeth and kept walking, his pace slowly but surely increasing. He was already tired from his work out with Fuji today, now this was just doubling the stress.

Laura also began to get irritated but was hell bent on getting a story out of him.

Ryoma said nothing as he kept walking, he slipped on his black cap as they were entering the city limits.

Laura followed him and then decided to get deeper. "At your mother's funeral, it was said that your old teamates were there, I managed to talk to them, but they to wouldn't comment on where you stand, have you told your friends that you quit. They seemed to have not seen you in awhile." she said.

Ryoma shook his head. "Leave them out of this." he said.

Laura grumbled and looked down and avoided tripping over a cup that was on the sidewalk. She noticed he was wearing shorts, which was something he hadn't done since he had vanished. She gasped as she spotted the slowly fading scar that tore from his knee to his ankle. She whipped out her camera and began shooting photo's as she tried to keep up with his pace in her little red heels.

Ryoma froze and stopped walking when he saw her taking photo's of his lower half. He looked down and his heart sank, he had forgotten to change out of his exercising shorts. He turned to her and held his hand out. "Give me that camera, it is illegal to take pictures without one's consent, now hand them over." he said.

Laura stepped back in defense and quickly put the camera in her purse. She kept her recorder rolling the whole time. "So this is what you've been hiding, I knew that those documents in your bag was not a lie! I now have a very sourceful lead." she said and crossed her arms.

Ryoma stepped towards her. "You went through my bags? Are you insane, that is invading my personal rights!" he said.

Laura crossed her arms. "Well we all have a life and a living to make, you have to do what you have to do." she said.

Ryoma grabbed her wrists. "You can't do that, hand over those photo's or I will turn you in." he said.

Laura bit her lip and then she smirked. "Alright, I will give the photo's to you." she said and smiled. She fumbled in her purse and then pulled out a small roll of film. She held out to him and smiled. "Here you are Echizen-san." she said smiling.

Ryoma quickly took the film from her hands and then turned and walked away quickly.

Laura smiled as she watched him leave. She laughed loudly, causing a few people to stare at her and walk away whispering while pulling their kids along. They saw her as a weird american girl.

Laura was all to happy as she walked back to her hotel and up to her room. When she got up to her room she quickly went over to her laptop and then opened up her purse and pulled out a digital camera. "By the time he realizes that I gave him fake film, this will already be in the papers." she smirked. She had given Ryoma an empty roll of film that belonged to one of her older camera's. "The power of digital camera's~! This is just my lucky day." she laughed.

She sipped on some light wine as she typed up her report. She wrote about what she had discovered on the plane, but made it like Ryoma told her about it and she then pasted some pictures of a close up of the scar on his leg and then a farout picture to prove it was actually Ryoma.

"He may be a proffesional tennis player, but he still is as naive as a child." she said and then laughed out loud again and sent her report to the american reporting system and to the Japanese reporting system by fax.

Pretty soon Japan and America would have this in every newspaper. She went and jumped on her bed and laid back.

"You did it Laura, now here comes the raise." she said smiling and sighing in content.

Laura smiled as her phones began to ring. She smiled and answered them and smiled at the well done's she recieved.

Meanwhile, Ryoma had just made it back home. He fell onto his bed after he had taken a quick shower. He was still debating on if he was still going to school tomorow or not. He yawned and then soon fell asleep, not knowing of what trouble and hassles that were to come...

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><p><strong>Well that is it for this chapter~~! I hope you've all liked it~! PLEASE REVIEW, if you don't I will be sad T^T~~! Anyway I hope you all liked it and please stay tuned for the next chapter, how will Ryoma deal with the pressure of the story-hungry media, will he confront them, or completely ignore them once more! Still Fuji and Ryoma will continue their training, but in secret as promised~! :D Another yet heart racing day in set for Ryoma tomorrow~ could this be love~ XD Find out next~! THANK YOU :D<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Here is the next chapter of His Endurance~! I hope you have been enjoying the story this far~! I am doing my best to make sure that my chapters are actually readable for you guys! I know my spelling is horrible and my general way of putting things, but thanks to you who have reviewed, I am improving my writing in the best way I can!**

**P.S- I just had to put this in here XD So many people hate Laura, I actually think it is funny how much you guys dislike her because I don't like here either XDDDD **

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Ryoma woke up early the next morning so he had plenty of time to decide if he was willing to go back to class today. He sat on his couch watching t.v and was drinking some flavored water that he had bought last night on his attempt to escape the pesky journalist. He sighed and flipped through the channels on the t.v, stopping at the news channel.

He was still pretty stirred up about last night. He looked down into his hand, which held a small roll of film. He thought back to last night, the camera didn't look like a film camera, it looked digital to him, but he was to worked up to actually think if it was or not.

Ryoma picked up his flavored water and was about to drink it when he froze and stared at the picture of the screen on the t.v. It was a picture of a much to familar scar on it. He coughed loudly as he got strangled on some of his water. He grabbed the remote roughly and turned the volume up.

Ryoma listened carefully to what they were saying, he then saw the familiar blone haired woman come into view on the camera.

_-T.V-_

_"Late last night, as I was walking back to my hotel room, I being a person of great luck at the moment, ran into the much famous Echizen Ryoma! His eyes at the time were those that was lost in his past. He looked troubled and dissatisfied for some reason" the woman said._

_"I managed to get some answers from him while we walked together and had a decent chat. We went into a small restaurant that night, and that is when he told me of his reasons for suddenly dissapearing four years ago." Laua stated, "the next thing I know he was leaning over to the side and I happened to notice he was wearing shorts at the time, and there on his leg was a fading scar from his knee to his ankle, as you've seen in the pictures." she said._

_"What did Echizen say about it? How did it happened?" another reporter asked Laura._

_Laura smiled a fake smile and cleared her throat. "Actually I never did get the answer on that one Akira-san, I did ask him but all he did was stare of into space as if he were reliving the moment! He looked so troubled. I guess it is understandable, afterall I have just recently discovered that Echizen-san's mother had just passed away." she said._

_The other reporter woman looked into the camera and then back to Laura. "Do you think that that was the reason that Echizen-san has returned to Japan, to mourn his deceased mother?" she asked._

_Laura shrugged. "I am assuming so, but actually I think it wasn't that, I actually sat beside Echizen-san on the plane ride over here from America, his mother, to my knowlege from a reliable source of course, was still alive at the time." she said._

_The other reporter looked surprised. "Do you currently have any information on where Echizen-san is staying? It is said that he is living somewhere in secret, is this true? How did you manage to break down his barrier?" she asked._

_Laura smiled a sort of sick and humble smile. "It was easy of course, you see we are sort of, how do I put it...friends. He is indeed living in secret, as you've all heard,"she said, "but I am currently searching for his residents." she said. "But I do know where his last Parent is currently residing as do many others." she said._

_The other woman smiled and shook her head. "You've done it again Laura, aren't you afraid of Echizen getting hurt by some obsessive fans? How does he feel about these reports that you've brought to us today?" she asked._

_Laura shifted in her seat. "No further comments." she said with a smile._

_The other woman turned and faced the camera in her seat and smiled into it. "That is all for today, join us next time to uncover more on the famous Echizen Ryoma right here on Miharu's Talk Today show. See you next time!" the announcer said._

Ryoma sat in his seat stunned, he couldn't believe this was actually happening, an actual nightmare was coming to life. His whole identity and purpous for hiding had completely been distroyed. He felt as if someone had just caught him in the bathroom naked, he felt exposed and a extremely irriated, that was for sure.

He turned off the t.v and sighed heavily and laid his head on the back of the couch. Even if he did miss school today, it didn't change the fact that he would have to eventually go back or all his money would be wasted. He sat up and got dressed and grabbed his bags, he may as well get over with. The cat was out of the bag now and there was no turning back this time. He had to deal with it, it was his only choice right now.

The only thing that kept Ryoma going was the thought of what was to come this afternoon when he and Fuji did their training.

He slung his bookbag over his shoulder and sighed. He walked out of his apartment and locked the door behind him. He walked down the stairs and pulled up his hoodie to shield himself from all the rain.

As he walked down the street, he notcied some people were whispering as he walked by. He sighed and just walked quickly so he could get out of this rain and away from all the burning stares. He hoped that nobody saw him come out of his apartment, the last thing he needed was for the media to come flocking around his only place of peace.

Ryoma sighed as he walked down the street to the University. He didn't like taking the bus or the train unless he had to. He enjoyed the freshness of the air that the world had to offer. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that had the class he was supposed to be teaching on it today. He glanced at it, seeing that it was Gym, and put it back into his pocket upon arriving at the gate.

He paused at the gate for a minute and looked up at the building in front of him, then pressed onward. He knew there would probably be questions asked, but he wouldn't answer them unless he had to, afterall what are the chances that a lot of people actually watch that show anymore?

Ryoma walked quietly down the halls and to the gym lockerooms. He got dressed into some light jogging pants and put on a white t-shirt. He walked into the gym and sat down on the bleachers. He saw the female and male couch come out into view. They were talking between themselves until they spotted him sitting there.

The two of them had stopped talking and instead headed in his direction. "Ryou-san." the male coach said.

Ryoma looked up at the male couch. "Yes, Coach Namura." he asked.

Namura looked at Ryoma and then sat down beside him on the bleachers. "How are you feeling, I heard about your mother. Please execpt my apologies." he said.

Ryoma shook his head. "Thanks." he said.

After a few minutes of nothing but silence, Namura cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair. "So...you are Echizen Ryoma...I watched the...show last night." he said nervously.

Ryoma went stiff for a second and said nothing. He just looked over his plans for the girl's basketball team for today. He wondered if the girl that he had jumped on last time had improved, he was really actually quite surprised he remembered her, but he didn't remember her name, just her face.

"Yeah, I am." he stated after a few minutes of studying his notes. "What about it?" he forced out.

Namura sighed and smiled. "Listen, I completely understand that you don't want anyone to figure out your real identity, but not to be the bad news giver...most of us already know." he said lightly, not sure on how he would take it.

Ryoma stood up. "I figured as much, it wasn't...like I was trying to hide, I just wanted to be left alone." he said and looked back at the coach. "Where is the girl's basketball team at?" he asked.

Namura smiled and shrugged. "They are running a little late today, there was a meeting in some of the classes today about exams." he said. "You didn't get the memo through the phone system did you?" he asked.

Ryoma shrugged. "Oh well, I heard about it, noisy guys at the gate." he said and sighed.

Namura laughed and nodded. "Well here they come." he said pointing to the girls and guys coming into the gym.

Ryoma nodded and went to the girl's side of the court and watched as the girls lined up in front of him.

Chiharu was excited to see Ryoma again, she had missed their little one-on-one match the other day. She had also discovered that he was "The" Echizen Ryoma, but she kept it to herself, trying to understand that he wanted it to keep it under cover, but most watched the show so his secret was most likely already out there.

Ryoma cleared his throat a little and then looked at his clipboard. "You all were put on training menus the other day. Let's see if it helped." he said and placed his clipboard down.

"First jog four laps then walk four laps, you have six minutes." he said and pushed the time into his stopwatch. "Go." he said.

He watched as the girls started to jog around the courts. He sighed and watched them come around and go again. He crossed his arms and looked over to Tezuka's side of the court. He was, as he expected, giving them hard training. It was jut like Tezuka to do something like that.

He looked away when he accidentally made eye-contact with a rather rude looking team player. He drew his attention back to the girls as they finished up their last lap.

Chiharu was the first person back to where Ryoma was. "Ryou-sensei, thanks for the special menu, I have been using it almost everyday now." she said.

Ryoma nodded and watched as the other's came back into formation. He then went to where he sat his clipboard down and picked up a big brown box that held the jerseys and ankle weights. He sat the box down and motioned for them to put them on.

"Five people in green, five in red, five in blue, and four in yellow." he said.

One of the other girls thought for a moment and then looked to Ryoma. "But isn't one of the teams unequal?" she asked.

Ryoma was reaching into the box, he pulled out a Yellow jersey and took his hat off and tossed it over to the clipboard, and then put the jersey on. "Whoever Mai is, she is absent today, I will be filling in to make it even." he said.

Chiharu smiled and then quickly pulled on a yellow jersey, just so she'd be on Ryoma's team. She slipped it on and went and stood a few feet next to him.

Ryoma didn't pay no mind to her choice, he was just trying to get the lesson over with. He felt eyes on him from across the gym, two pairs belonged to the coaches...the third pair belonged to Tezuka.

He shook the feeling off inside and then blew the whistle and it began. He had the red and green team on half of the girl's side and the yellow and blue on the otherside facing off in mini matches. They had indeed gotten better, some of them at least.

Ryoma dribbled the basketball and was going head to head with the captain of the girl's team. He wasn't even breaking a sweat, his first day here he was sweating a lot, but now he felt refreshed and even more energized, just like he was before the accident.

He gave a cheeky grin as he rounded the ball around his back in a fake to the left. He turned his body around the player and then charged towards the basket, two defenders on his trail.

Ryoma lept into the air and dunked the basket smoothly, leaving the following defenders in surprise.

"Hmmm...I feel lighter." he said to himself and rolled his arm and turned back to the girls after he caught the ball. "No rebound?" he asked raising a brow.

The left defender shook her head and ran forward as Ryoma began to dribble again. She blocked him pretty well, but Ryoma still made it past her depite her best efforts.

He smiled and then looked at the clock a few minutes later after playing against the girls and sighed.

"All right, gather here." he said and went over to the bench and gulped down some cool water and looked at the clipboard. He wrote some things down and sighed.

"I see that you guys have improved slightly. If you keep continuing like this, then you will be on track in about a month, just in time for the Regional Tournament, I want to see you guys make it to the Championships so you better work." he said, knowing it was out of his character, but still decided to do it anyway.

Chiharu smiled and took a deep breath and walked over to Ryoma. "Ryou-sensei, you to seem to be lighter on your feet." she said, hoping she wasn't stepping out of line.

Ryoma turned and threw his gym jacket over his shoulder and looked back at her.

"Haven't noticed." he said with a cheeky look in his eyes. He then turned and exited the gym, leaving the team to clean up.

Meanwhile Tezuka had just finished wrapping everything up. He pushed his glasses up on his face and watched Ryoma leave.

'_It would seem that Fuji is really working with him...I look forward to your return...Pillar of Support, no...Echizen Ryoma!'_ he thought.

Tezuka gathered up his things and left for the day as well.

~OwO~

Ryoma sighed as he walked towards his apartment, he figured he would stop by his old man's place for a visit, maybe he could give some advice.

He sighed and walked into the the gates of his Father's place and walked up to the doore. He pushed it open and cleared his throat.

"Father, It's me, Ryoma." he called and slipped his shoes off and slipped the slippers on. He walked to the door that led to the livingroom and opened it up.

He blinked when someone else beat him to opening the door.

Ryoma looked up into the person's eyes and then his eyes narrowed and he gave a look of irritation.

"Ryouga." he said in a monotone voice.

Ryouga smirked and then roughly put his arm on Ryoma's shoulder, giving him a knuckle rub to the head.

Ryoma winced and pulled away from his grasp. "Enough." he said.

Ryouga faked a sniffle. "Little brother~ you're still so mean to me!" Ryouga laughed.

Ryoma sighed and sat his bag down and walked over to his father who was on the couch watching t.v.

"Father, I came to ask you something." he said.

Nanjirou looked up into Ryoma's eyes to see a burning fire in them. He knew that flame all to well...the flame of awakening. "So...you've finally came around, brat I am getting to old for this." he said.

Ryoma closed his eyes and then opened them, the fire burning deeper.

"_**Play a match against me!" **_he said.

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><p><strong>Well that is it for this chapter~! I hope you've enjoyed it! Next chapter will Ryoma be utterly defeated, or will he improve! Also in the next chapter Fuji and Ryoma go away to a two person camp~! Will only training take place, or will their be a nice suprise in the spring nearby! Find out next time~! PLEASE REVIEW~! THANKS~!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again~! Sorry for the long wait . I just started up another round of University~! Already completed three years of Art, now going back for art teaching :D So if everything goes well, I will be teaching art someday~! Lol Anyway enough about that~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis nor it's characters~!**

**Chapter 10 **

Ryoma walked with his father out to the tennis court and sighed as he looked over it. It had been a while since he had stepped foot inside of one, it felt great to him.

Nanjirou looked at his son and sighed. "Alright, let's see how much you lack." he said with a slight smirk on his face.

Ryoma looked down at his hands. "Ah...I need my racket." he said. "I left it at the house." he mumbled.

Nanjirou looked at his son through narrowed eyes. "Seriously? You get me fired up only to let me hit rock bottom?" he asked swinging his racket around.

Ryoma rolled his eyes and started to walk off the court but was stopped by his brother.

"Hey Pip-squeak, use this." Ryoga smirked and threw Ryoma a familiar red racket.

Ryoma looked at the racket and the letter R that was printed on the bottom of it. He smiled a distant smile and then swung his racket around to get the feel of it back into his arms.

Nanjirou whistled and waited for Ryoma. "Hurry up~" he sighed.

Ryoma stretched and then looked over at his father. He reached into his bag and then pulled out his black cap and placed it on his hair. He smiled and walked onto his side of the court and then got into position.

Nanjiro watched as Ryoma dribbled the ball with his racket a few times. He then placed the tip of his racket on the ground.

"Smooth or rough?" he asked his dad.

Nanjirou smirked. "Brats first." he said.

Ryoma twitched and narrowed his eyes. "Smooth." he said and spun the racket.

The racket spun a few times before tipping over and landing on smooth.

Ryoma picked up his racket and then went to his servicing side and then dribbled the ball a few more times and then caught it in his hand. He looked to his father and then took a silent deep breath and threw it up in the air and swung his racket and hit the ball to the other side of the court.

Nanjirou didn't even move to hit the ball, the ball flew past his head weakly and out of bounds.

Ryoma looked, not shocked at what had happened, he knew he was out of shape and that his form was off. He had just started training with Fuji afterall, how much could one session do?

Nanjirou smirked before busting out laughing. "That was pitiful, brat." he laughed.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes more and then got ready to serve another ball. He smiled at his dad before hitting the ball directly under his father's legs. The ball went under his legs and then bounced off the court.

"15 love." he said with a smirk.

Nanjirou stopped laughing and he blinked and turned around and sure enough, to his surprise, there on the court was a smudge where a ball had landed smoothly.

"I have to admit, that one was just luck." Ryoma said and messed with the strings on his racket.

Nanjirou grinned. "Cheeky brat." he said and then got ready for Ryoma's next serve.

Ryoma smiled and hit the ball over to Nanjirou, but Nanjirou returned it with a blinding force.

Ryoma stood there in shock, he didn't even hear the ball or see the ball go past him until his father told him that the ball had scored a point.

Nanjirou smiled. "You still have a ways to go ." he said.

Ryoma smiled. "Old man...you are really starting to bug me." he panted.

Nanjirou smiled and stuck his tongue out. "Let's go, boy." he said.

~30 minutes later~

Ryoma huffed as he laid on his back on the court. His eyes were closed tightly as he held his stomach.

Nanjirou walked over to Ryoma, not even out of breath and bent down to him. "Like I said, you still have a ways to go." he said and then got up and headed back inside.

Ryoma sighed and looked up at the sky, which was full of stars now. He then grinned and stuck his hand in the air and then pointed one finger up. "I got one point..." he huffed and then sighed and got up.

His legs felt like jelly and his heart was hurting from where he was breathing hard. He stretched and gathered his things and his old racket and went back into his father's house.

"I'm going home now, got class tomorrow." he said and then waved and left his father's house.

He wasn't really going to go straight home, he would go grab a bite to eat and then message Fuji and apologize for not being able to attend their training session this afternoon. He didn't think he could bare to do anymore physical things until he was well rested.

Ryoma wanted nothing more right now, than to take a hot shower and go to bed, but his growling stomach would not allow him.

He slipped his black hat that he carried with him and then walked down the street in the city and walked into the convience store that was only a few minutes from his house. He walked through the store, buying sports drinks and milk. He threw in some meats and some vegetables that he could eat. He knew he desperatly needed to fix his menu from now on.

Ryoma walked up to the counter and placed the items that he gathered on the counter while pulling out his wallet.

The clerk gave him his things after he paid and he left. As he walked down the street he opened up one of the sport waters he bought and drunk it. He was planning on making some steamed vegtables with some white rice tonight.

He was walking down the street when he bumped into someone, a woman at that.

"Sorr-" he cut off when he saw a familiar woman, the very woman who revealed everything to everyone.

He quickly turned and started to walk away.

Laura smiled and followed him. "Oh come on Ryoma, don't be mad, everyone deserved to know the truth." she said.

Ryoma stopped suddenly and then turned around and looked at Laura with a deep and frightening glare, that caused her to turn around and walk away.

Laura walked away from Ryoma quickly, she knew that she should tread lightly from now on. She knew that Ryoma was extremely pissed at her. She had to be careful or he could press charges on her, which wasn't far from Ryoma's mind.

She sighed and walked back to her hotel room and slumped down on her bed. "I must find out where he lives." she thought and bit her lip.

Laura sat up on her bed and pulled out her cellphone and called her editor.

"Kunimitsu Teito's room please."she said and waited for the office to connect her to the hotel room the person was staying in.

There was pause for a couple of seconds followed by a loud yawn and sigh.

_'Hello?' _ the male on the other end said.

"Yes Teito-san, this is Laura." she said and crossed her silky legs and twiddled with a string that was loose on the bed covers.

There was another pause before a loud yelling.

_'Do you know what time it is! I have to get up at the crack of dawn to edit your reports and you expect me to talk on the telephone with you at midnight! What is so important that you couldn't have waited until tomorrow?'_ Teito yelled through the phone.

Laura laughed lightly. "Now Teito-san, I just wanted to let you know that there are a few changes in tomorrow's plans. Tomorrow we are taking the day off on our writing, instead we are going...hunting, I guess you could call it." she said.

_'What? But I thought you said that your report is due tomorrow.' _he said.

"Not anymore, I will call the printer's myself, first we are going on a special mission that would surely boost our scoop to the maximum level." Laura said and got up and walked over to the window and looked down at the city lights of Tokyo.

_'Laura, what have you got?' _he asked.

Laura smiled. "Tomorrow me and you are going to search for the residents of Echizen Ryoma." she said.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

_'When and where do you want to meet up?'_ he asked calmly now, seeming to be more awake than earlier.

Laura smiled. "The usual place at nine o'clock sharp." she said before hanging up.

She smiled and looked out her window. "I will make you shine Echizen Ryoma. You will make me a legend." she smirked and then turned out the lights and closed her evil eyes.

~Meanwhile~

Ryoma sighed and sat down on his couch. He managed to make it home before the downfall of rain.

He reached over and picked up his laptop and turned it on. He needed to message Fuji to explain why he wasn't able to meet up for their work out session today.

When he thought about it now, he seemed a little sad. He wanted to work out with Fuji today, when he was with Fuji he felt relaxed and at peace. Sure he loved the match between his father, even though he lost miserably, but hey, at least he tried.

He sighed as he began to type up his email to Fuji:

**To: Fuji Syusuke**

**From: Echizen Ryoma**

**Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012-12:35am**

**Subject: Sorry**

Hey, sorry about this afternoon, I know that we were supposed to work out today. Something came up that I needed to attend to, I hope you don't mind, but can we reschedule until the day after tomorrow. Don't worry I will still work out like you showed me, I am also going to change my diet. Well until Thursday, I hope.

E. Ryoma

Ryoma sighed as he sent it and laid his head back on the couch. He turned on the t.v and flipped through the channel aimlessly.

He was just about to get up to go to the bathroom when he heard a bell-like noise, indicating he had a new message.

He opened it up, much faster than he intended and read it quickly and calmly.

**To: Echizen Ryoma**

**From: Fuji Syusuke**

**Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012-12:35am**

**Subject: Re: Sorry**

Hey, don't worry about it. Something came up for me to. I hope your day was well and I am all for the day after tomorrow. And it's great to hear that you have decided to change your diet, I think it's for the best, not calling you fat or anything. Oh and be careful Ryoma, some people leaked out that you go to our University to the press, so wear a hat or something to hide yourself so you can come in safely tomorrow. Well going to bed now, see you on Thursday!

F. Syusuke

Ryoma sighed and smiled and shut down his laptop and got into bed tiredly. Tomorrow would be a long day, he could already feel it pressing down on his shoulders.

He sighed once more before drifting off to sleep, thinking of what was to happen this coming Thursday.

**Well guys that is if for this chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it~! XDDD PLEASE REVIEW~! Thank you~! Up next, something is going to happen to Ryoma! What you ask~! I am not telling you :D You must read the next chapter and REVIEW. If I get some good reviews I will have it up by Saturday! If not, then you'll have to wait~! So REVIEW to reveal what happens~!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, I am here with once again, another chapter! Sorry for the delay! My computer went POW!; and it took me a bit to fix it, but now it is up and running! XD Here is the next chapter of His Endurance, and as I said last chapter author box, something will happen to Ryoma!**

**DISLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS IN ****ANY **** WAY!**

**Chapter 11**

Ryoma groaned and rolled over to turn of his alarm clock. He didn't sleep all that well last night, so he had a morning headache.

He got up a few moments later and got into a quick shower. He didn't really feel like going into class today, but he had to turn in his weekly card and get his next week's sport groups.

After a few more moments in the shower, he got out and dried off. He knew he should eat a good breakfast this morning, so he fixed himself an american breakfast, sunny-side up eggs with a strip of bacon with some whole grain toast. It tasted good to eat something good, something besides poptarts and quick snacks here and there.

He finished up breakfast and then headed out. He was texting his dad on his phone, telling him he wanted a rematch this afternoon. He wanted to show Fuji that he had improved, even if it was just a little. For some reason he felt he wanted to make Fuji really proud. He wanted to see him smile, if anything it was because of Fuji, that he had a desire to play tennis again.

He smiled a little and turned the curb only to see a group of people holding camera's and microphones at his father's house. He saw his father and brother trying to get them to go away.

Ryoma looked to the woman who was standing just a little outside his father's house. It was Laura, and she was smiling, a smile that made Ryoma's stomach turn upside down. She was smiling some twisted smile, he knew that he should be very careful of her. This woman was capable of doing terrible things, this much he already knew.

His father must have caught eye of Ryoma because he coughed loudly to get Ryoma's attention and then made a weird jesture that told him to hurry. The reporters thought that he was still trying to make them go away, so they didn't pay it much mind.

Ryoma nodded and gave him an apologizing nod, and turned and took a short cut through an alley that led into town.

He managed to successfully get away without being noticed by the reporters, except for one that is.

Laura had managed to catch onto what Nanjiro was doing, when she saw him look towards the corner of the street.

Ryoma continued to walk down the street and into town. He stopped by a bakery to get him some fresh wheat bread to eat with some white chicken, for lunch.

He soon left the shop with his sandwhich wrapped up, and headed to class.

Surprisingly when he got there, there were no reporters, that was until he walked into the gate and looked over at the soccer field, where there were about six or seven reporters talking to the coach and the soccer team he was in charge of.

He sighed and rolled his eyes and snuck into the school and into his class where he sat down and waited for his cards to be gathered up.

Tezuka, Oishi, and Sakuno, where talking when he walked in, but the paused for a moment when he sat down.

Ryoma didn't look over at them, now that they knew his identity, he didn't have to hide anymore, so he removed his hat and put it in his bag.

Sakuno sat facing straight, but was tapping her fingers on the desk nervously. She then turned to Ryoma finally and cleared her throat.

"Ryoma-sama...u-um...I was just wondering...w-why did you not tell us who you really where?" she asked, finishing off the last of her sentence quickly and lowered her head a little to keep from meeting his eyes.

Ryoma looked at Sakuno and shrugged and faced forward. "Didn't feel like it." he mumbled.

Oishi's brow furrowed and he stood up. "Ryoma-san, I want to know why to. We're your friends, aren't we?" he asked.

Tezuka said nothing as he skimmed over Ryoma's body, something was different. The once gone light, was slowly starting to appear, the one he hadn't seen in forever, it was dim, but there. He knew that the plan he and Fuji made with the others was working.

The teacher came in a few seconds later and sighed. "Alright let's start today's last class for the week." he said and went around and was going over the lesson. He went around and looked at the weekly cards and then gave everyone knew ones.

Ryoma looked down at the two sports he had this week before getting up and walked out of the room.

Sakuno shortly caught up with him. "Ryoma-sama, I was wondering what you were doing for lunch." she said and clutched a satchel that held her lunch, to her chest.

Ryoma held up a bag that held his sandwhich and kept walking, not saying anything. He just didn't have anything to say.

Sakuno nodded. "I see...so which sports are you in charge of this week?" she asked.

Ryoma reached into his pocket and pulled out his card and held it out to her as he kept walking.

This week he was in charge of baseball and volleyball. He never played baseball before, so he would have to look into it. He never really payed attention to any other sport but tennis before, so he knew it would be challenging, hopefully at least.

Sakuno looked at her card and sighed. "Aw man, different ones again." she said and handed him his card back.

Ryoma took the card and nodded and then walked off and headed to the courtyard to eat his lunch under a shady tree. It felt good outside that day so it was a perfect time to eat outdoors.

He walked under a nearby shady tree and sat down and gulped down some water and ate his sandwhich. It was peaceful, he couldn't disagree there. He felt relaxed a little, and since no one was around, he could just be calm and composed.

After he finished his lunch, he laid back on the grass and relaxed and was almost alseep when he heard some foot steps coming towards him. It was several of them. He looked over and saw a pair of red heels and white silky legs beside him.

"How long are you going to run away?" a familiar and irritating woman asked.

Ryoma sat up and then stood up. "And how long are you going to bother me and my family?" he asked.

Laura smiled. "As long as it takes to get the story I want." she said. "And I will stop at nothing to get it!" she laughed.

Ryoma sighed. "Obviously." he muttered under his breath. "What exactly to you want from me?" he asked.

Laura smirked. "I want to know if you are going to play tennis again." she said.

Ryoma turned and started to walk away.

Laura followed close behind him, not losing him for a second.

Ryoma passed by Fuji, ignoring him so that Laura wouldn't question him.

Fuji waved, but stopped when he noticed the woman following closely on Ryoma's trails. He to, soon followed behind Laura. This woman was trying to hurt Ryoma, and that was the last thing Fuji wanted to happen.

Ryoma turned down a hallway to go down some steps, but was stopped abruptly when he saw some of the media walking up them.

One of the guys happened to look up and gasped. "It's him! Catch him!" he said, and the others started to run up the stairs.

Fuji saw what was occuring and ran over to Ryoma and tapped him on the shoulder. "Run!" he said and took his arm and started to run down the hallway with some of the press following their trails.

Ryoma ran beside Fuji, quickly passing Tezuka and Oishi who looked in wonder as all the people flooded by them.

"Tezuka, should we do something?" he asked.

Tezuka nodded. "We need to distract them." he said and began running after the crowd, Oishi following behind him.

Tezuka caught up with the group and then motioned for Oishi to follow out with the quick plan they came up with.

"Hey, isn't that Ryoma Echizen!" Oishi yelled out and pointed down another hallway.

The media stopped and turned around and ran down the hallway that Oishii told them to, except for Laura and two others.

Ryoma and Fuji ran to a hallway that had a pair of stairs that led to the roof, they stopped before they ran up them, if they went that way they would be trapped so they turned to face the three that was pursuing them.

Ryoma panted and caught his breath and faced Laura and the other two.

"Now Ryoma, will you answer my question now?" Laura asked.

Ryoma ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily.

Fuji stepped in between Ryoma and the other three.

"Listen, I don't know who you are, but stop doing this to him. It is none of your buisness what Echizen does." Fuji said, defending Ryoma.

Laura clicked her tongue and walked forward and glared. "You are in the way!" she said and pushed Fuji to the side.

Fuji slipped on some water that was on the floor and was heading head first down the stairs.

Ryoma turned on his heel quickly and grabbed Fuji's wrist and used the force of his body to turn and catch Fuji, sending them both down the stairs.

Ryoma protected Fuji's head as they rolled down the stairs and Ryoma hit his head on the floor and blacked out.

Fuji sat up quickly and shook Ryoma. "Echizen? Echizen are you alright!" he asked and shook Ryoma, but got nothing but a mumble.

Laura backed away and ran off, knowing she'd be in trouble if she got caught.

Fuji watched her run off and then he turned his attention to Ryoma, faintly hearing the other two run off behind Laura.

Fuji shook Ryoma, being carefull not to move his head in case he had a concution. He heard two sets of footsteps approaching them at a rapid rate.

He looked at the top of the steps to see a slightly panting Tezuka and Oishi. They looked down and hurried to them.

"What happened?" Tezuka asked crouching down.

"The reporter woman pushed me and I slipped on some water and was falling down the stairs, but Echizen saved me...it's all my fault, he won't respond to me." he said.

Tezuka looked down at Ryoma. "Let's take him to the infirmary for starts, they will be able to do something for him if we hurry." he said and picked Ryoma up carefully and put him on his back and ran with the other two to the infirmary.

When they got there the nurse took over and began to examine Ryoma's head for any dangerous injuries and any breaks or bruises. When she finished she wrote something on her clipboard and then walked over to Tezuka and the other two.

"There doesn't seem to be any head trauma, everything looks good on the breakage side, no broken bones, guess he was lucky...you guys mind telling me what happened?" she asked.

Oishi glanced at the other two and then sighed in relief.

Ryoma stirred and opened his eyes and sat up. "Ouch." he muttered and rubbed his temples.

Fuji walked over to Ryoma. "Thank you for saving me Echizen, how are you feeling?" he asked.

Ryoma looked at Fuji. "Been better." he muttered and swung his legs over the bed, feeling a white hot pain in his right leg, but he brushed it off so he wouldn't worry the others.

Tezuka thought he noticed a slight discomfort in Ryoma's features and stepped forward. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Ryoma shook his head. "No." he mumbled and looked at Tezuka.

Tezuka nodded and then turned to the other two. "We should let him rest." he said and turned and walked out and waved a quick wave to Ryouma.

Oishi followed soon after Tezuka, leaving only Ryoma and Fuji behind.

Fuji turned to him and sat down in the chair beside him. "Are you sure you are alright?" he asked.

Ryoma looked down at Fuji and then to his leg. He didn't feel like lying to Fuji, not him. He looked back up at Fuji. "My leg...something is wrong with it." he said and sighed. "It hurts." he said.

Fuji's eyes instantly went down to Ryoma's right leg. "You don't think...it happened again, do you?" he asked.

Ryoma looked at Fuji. "I don't know...it felt the same as it did last time." he said.

Fuji reached over to Ryoma's leg and pulled the pant's leg up and looked at his leg carefully.

Ryoma watched as Fuji examined him, feeling slightly jittery when he touched his lower thigh, trying to get his pants leg up.

Fuji looked at Ryoma's leg and frowned. There was a bruise forming around his ankle and his knee. "I will get the nurse to examine it again." he said and left the room for a moment.

After a few minutes of waiting, Fuji reappeared along with the nurse. She took a look at his leg carefully and made him move it around a few times, feeling for broken bones.

"Well nothing is broken, but I think you should go to the hospital on your way home, maybe they can give you some medicine to ease the pain of the bruising." she said.

She sighed and then gave him some temporary pain killers and sent him on his way.

Ryoma walked beside Fuji, slightly slower though. He sighed and then headed to the front gate.

"Do you think you will be able to still come over Thursday?" Fuji asked and accompanyed Ryoma to the hospital to get his leg checked out.

Ryoma nodded. "Yes." he said and sat down on the table and let the doctor check him out.

"There seems to be nothing wrong, so you should be alright, use ice compressors to take away the bruising and slight swelling, you should be better by morning." he said.

Ryoma nodded and got down and walked with Fuji outside of the hospital and paused when Fuji did.

Fuji looked at his wrist watch and then to Ryoma. "I got some errands to run, so I hope you don't mind if we part for now." he said smiling.

Ryoma nodded. "I got some things to take care of as well." he said and then waved bye to Fuji and headed to his father's house, he was still going to do the match. His leg felt better after he took the medicine, so he knew it should be alright.

He sighed as he walked and looked at the dimming sky, it would be dark in a few hours, so he wanted to hurry up and get to his fathers and get the match over with. He wanted to have some time left over to cook his healthy food from his training menu, get a shower, catch the late night tennis special, and then get a shower before going to bed.

He needed to be in bed by at least ten tonight, tomorrow he didn't have class and he wanted to take care of some things before his training day with Fuji the day afterwards.

He sighed as he finally made it to his father's house. He smiled and stepped inside to play the match with his father. This would be the next step for him to make his goal...it was just a matter of time until he was back to his normal self.

**Well that is it for this chapter! I hope you've all enjoyed it :D PLEASE REVIEW, and if I do not update within the week after this, I am am on VACATION~! WOOT WOOT~! I am going to be travling to New York in America~! I have been planning to on a trip there for a while now, want to get out of Japan for a bit! I will be in New York! OoO But I will only be there for a few days now! XD So excited, I will be leaving out tuesday the 5, of next week and will be returning to Japan on the 9th! Can't wait XD ANYWAY, PLEASE REVIEW~!I hope to see at least 6 reviews before I update again :D TY**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone~! I am back~! Sorry it took me a bit to update, I just got back from New York a few weeks ago WOOOT~!I am now back in Japan T.T I had an amazing time there, I got to watch an american movie called Madagascar 3, it was a pretty funny movie XD. I got to go around to some of the clubs in New York, which was fun. And I spent my time relaxing at the Hilton Hotel. It was very nice there and I got to relax a lot. I hope to go there again next time I get some time off of work~! XD Anyway, enough blabbing about me, lets get back to what you really clicked this link for :D Sorry That it took me so long to update~!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Ryoma tied his shoes tightly and stepped onto the court, where his father was waiting.

"Ready to get your butt kicked again, brat?" his father asked, looking a little stressed and tired.

Ryoma sighed. He felt bad about this morning, the way he left his father and brother to deal with the reporters.

"Sorry about this morning...I know the last thing you need right now is stress." he whispered.

Nanjirou shrugged. "Don't worry about it, I know what it's like, believe me." he said and swung his racket around, warming up.

Ryoma nodded and began to warm up and stretch as well. He made sure to work his leg out a little more than the rest of his body, he didn't want to hurt it anymore after what had happened that afternoon.

Nanjirou smiled and looked at his son. "Your mother is probably swelling with happiness up there." he said looking up at the sky. "She really liked seeing you play the game you love." he said and looked back down and to Ryoma.

Ryoma shifted and nodded. "Yeah." he mumbled, not really sure what to say. "She's about to see me wipe the ground with you." he said with a cheeky grin.

Nanjirou tsked and looked at his son. "Really now? I hope you are ready to prove those words." he said and got ready.

Ryoma smiled. "Oh, I am." he said, and then the match began.

* * *

><p>Ryoma huffed after the game was over. He had improved slightly, he still couldn't make his father move away from that one spot on his side of the court, but then again it took him months to be able to do that when he was younger. He smirked at his father and then fell back on the court and stared up at the night sky.<p>

"Old man, I will win someday, just you wait." he sighed.

Nanjirou too looked up at the night sky from his side of the court. He rested his racket on one of his shoulders. "Like I'd ever let that happen again." he smirked.

Ryoma smiled even bigger. "Do you think I can really make it back to the top?" he whispered.

Nanjirou walked over to Ryoma and gave him a light wack in the head with his racket. "Of course, brat! You're my son afterall." he said smiling down at him. He lent a hand down to his son to help him up.

Ryoma smiled and rubbed his head and then took his father's hand and pulled himself up. He stretched and yawned. "I need to be heading home soon." he said. "I have a training day with Fuji." he said.

Nanjiro nodded. "Be careful, there have been some reporters hanging around about this time every afternoon at the gate." he said.

Ryoma nodded and reached into his bag and pulled out a hat and put it on. He sighed and waved by to his father and then left. He walked outside the gate, and just like his father had said, there were some reporters wating across the street. When they saw him come out, they were surrounding him by the second.

"Sir, do you have any connection to the family that lives inside? Are you a friend of Ryoma-san?" they questioned. They watched Ryoma carefully.

"No, I am just delivering the package." he said and then turned and started in the direction his apartment. He heard complaints and dissappointed mutters behind him. He sighed and relaxed a little, he had successfully escaped.

Ryoma turned the corner and walked up to the apartment gate then walked inside. He rummaged through his pockets for his house keys, but he had no luck in finding them. He felt his heart skip a beat as he ran to his door and twisted the knob, in hopes that it will open.

"Shit, I left my keys in the house." he hissed. He glanced at his watch and grummbled. He walked down to the first floor to the owner of the apartments. He knocked on the door and listened to see if anyone would answer. He waited for what seemed like thirty minutes and then gave up. He turned and walked back down the stairs of his apartment and left.

He thought of his next mood as he wandered aimlessly into town. Despite the time, their were lots of people out in town. He went to a restaurant to orded him some food. He hadn't eaten anything all day, and after the long match with his father, he felt even more hungry.

After he had gotten his food, he went and sat down and began to eat. It was good, unhealthy, but good. But he figured that humans could cheat in their diet from time to time. He heard a crowd come in and he looked up, his old friends Momoshiro, Kaidoh, and Inui.

He slouched in his seat a little to hide. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to them, he just didn't want to have to answer any questions right now. He tried to quickly finish up his food, but despite his best efforts not to be seen, he was caught.

"Oi, Echizen!" Momoshiro called out and walked over to him. He placed a hand on Ryoma's shoulder and smiled. "Are you trying to hide from us?" he asked.

Ryoma shrugged and sighed. "No." he mumbled and sighed. He slowed down in eating, knowing that he had no chance of being able to escape them now.

Momoshiro and the others sat down at his table with their food and began eating. "What have you been up to all this time?" he asked.

Ryoma shifted in his seat. "Nothing. Just here and there." he answered and continued eating.

Momoshiro frowned slightly. "You haven't even tried to play again?" he whispered.

Ryoma stopped eating and looked up. "If you guys are sitting here just to ask me questions about my absence, then please leave." he said.

Momoshiro sighed and shook his head. "Fine, I'll leave you to your privacy." he said. "But please remember, we are your friends, even if you don't think so." he said.

Ryoma finished eating and then talked with the others for a moment, not really saying much, but had casual conversation with them.

* * *

><p>After everyone else had finished eating they parted ways. Ryoma had started to walk to the park. He sat down on the bench and looked up to the moon. He was getting sleepy, really sleepy. He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands and pondered his next step.<p>

Meanwhile, Fuji was heading towards the store near his house. He flipped through the music on his Ipod and hummed a little to the beat. He walked into the store and pulled one ear phone out of his ear so he could hear the prices the cashier told him. He payed for his things and then left. It was a little chilly tonight, it was almost fall time and the wind was blowing, making it a lot colder outside.

He tightened his scarf around his neck and then looked up at the moon. He smiled and sighed. He was then startled by a cough he heard coming from the park he was standing beside. He looked over to the bench. There was a young man sitting there and admiring the moon like he was doing just moments before.

He then recognized who it was and a smile stretched across his face. He walked over to the bench and looked up at the moon and chuckled. "It's very pretty during this time of year, right at the peak of fall." he said.

Ryoma jumped slightly and looked over at him and then smiled a little himself. "Yeah." he whispered and then went and looked back up at the moon.

Fuji sat down beside him and they both watched the moon in silence for a few moments. "What are you doing out here in the cold at this time of night?" he asked.

Ryoma sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I locked my house keys in my apartment. I tried going down to the owner's apartment, but nobody answered." he said.

Fuji chuckled lightly. "What were you planning to do, stay out here all night?" he asked.

Ryoma sighed and nodded. "I guess so." he whispered and looked up at Fuji.

Fuji smiled back at him with a handsome smile. "I have an extra bed at my house. Come on." he said softly.

Ryoma looked up at him and then looked down and smiled. "Thanks, really."he whispered.

Fuji nodded. "Don't mention it, we're friends, right?" he said. He started walking in the direction of his house. They walked in silence almost the whole way, but it was a good silence.

When they arrived, Fuji took out his keys and then unlocked and opened the door. He walked inside and turned on some lights. He smiled and sat down his bags.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Fuji asked and started to take things out of the bags he had. "If not, I can make you something." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "I ate before I sat down in the park. I actually ran into Momoshiro-senpai, Kaidoh-senpai, and Inui-senpai." he said.

Fuji smiled. "Did they eat with you?" he asked. He turned and was putting things up in the cabinet. He left out two chocolate cups of ice-cream though. He got out two spoons and walked over to the couch and sat down beside Ryoma and handed him one of each.

"Yeah, they were quite talkative." he said and opened up his ice-cream. "Thanks." he said, indicating the ice-cream.

Fuji felt some jealousy rise in the pit of his stomach. He shifted and opened up his ice-cream as well. "I see." he said. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked.

Ryoma nodded. "I guess so. We didn't have really much to talk about." he said. "But the managed to talk on my behalf to." he said.

Fuji's grip on his ice-cream tightened and his eyes opened. "I see." he said. He took a bite of his ice-cream and then reached for the remote. He turned on the t.v. and there on the screen was a couple passionately kissing. He quickly flipped the channel and glanced over at Ryoma who suddenly seemed really interested in his cup of ice-cream.

"If you want you could use the shower." he said. "Not saying you smell bad, just saying that you could use it if you want to relax." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "That would be great actually." he said and stood up.

Fuji stood up. "Great, I will lend you some of my clothes, although they might be a little long on you, seeing as you are a little shorter than I am." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "Thanks." he said, truly greatful for a friend like Fuji. He was the only one out of all the others that makes him feel like himself.

Fuji nodded and went into his bedroom and gathered some night clothes for Ryoma. He was rumaging through his dresser when he stumbled across a bottle. He saw an image flash in his head of two male bodies connected. He felt his heart pang a little at the memory. Fuji to had scars of his own, but his weren't visible. He sighed and closed the dresser door and took a deep breath and after gathering his senses again, he turned and left the room.

Ryoma was standing in the livingroom looking around when Fuji returned. Fuji handed the clothes to Ryoma and smiled. "The bathroom is down the hall, second door to the right." he said smiling.

Ryoma nodded and smiled. "Thanks." he said and walked to the bathroom and hopped into the shower.

Fuij sighed after Ryoma was out of sight. He sat down on the couch and turned the t.v. off. He hadn't opened that particular drawer in awhile, he wondered how and why he had forgotten what was in there, maybe it was his heart trying to forget the hurt he had felt.

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><p>~<em><strong>Flashback~<strong>_

_"Don't worry...I'll make you forget him." a husky voice whispered into Fuji's ear._

_Fuji trembled lightly and looked up at the man on top of him. He clenched the sheets as the man moved deeper within his body. _

_"Ah!" he moaned out. He trembled even more as the man continued to thrust inward. He panted lightly and gasped. "Ah, Atobe!" he panted._

_Atobe smiled and bet over and began to whisper sweet words in his ears. "So good." he whispered and kissed Fuji's ear._

_Fuji shivered and bit his lip. He didn't love Atobe...but after he heard of Ryoma's dissapearence and wasn't able to see him on t.v. anymore...he gave up. He needed to be held, since he couldn't hold the one he loved, the one he had loved since months after they had met. _

_'Ryoma!' Fuji screamed inside of his head as he and Atobe released._

_Atobe smirked. "Thanks, I enjoyed it. Call me when you need comforting again." he whispered and gathered his things and left._

_Fuji cried himself to sleep that night, he had betrayed his love for Ryoma, but then again, Ryoma never loved him at all so he wasn't really betraying him at all, it was just him feeling that he did. He would never forget this._

_**End Flashback~**_

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><p>Fuji sighed and shook his head and turned the t.v. back on. He looked up when he heard Ryoma coming down the hallway.<p>

"Thanks for letting me use the shower." he said. He smiled over at Fuji.

Fuji stared at Ryoma for a moment. He looked over his features, his slightly smaller frame, his hips had a little more edge to them than any other man, his lips were full and a light shade of pink, his hair looked good clinging to his neck and his face, and his eyes that was like liquid honey seemed to catch anything in its path.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." he said. He smiled at Ryoma and then looked at the clock. "Should we go to bed now?" he asked. "Since you are already here, we can start our training tomorrow." he said.

Ryoma nodded. "Sure, where do I sleep?" he asked.

Fuji smiled and then slid the table out of the way of the couch. He took the cushions off and then pulled out a couch bed. He put some sheets on it and a blanket and then he put some pillows on it. "Is this alright?" he asked.

Ryoma nodded. "Yes." he said, clearing his throat a little bit afterwards.

Fuji nodded. "Well, Im not setting the alarm, so if you want to get up at a special time, there is another clock right there on the table." he said.

Ryoma nodded again. "Thank you." he said.

Fuji and Ryoma just stood there for a few moments before Fuji shifted and turned and walked to his room, shutting the door. He went over to the side of the bed and turned on the lamp and sat down on the edge of the bed. He put his head in his hands and sighed. His heart was hammering in his chest. The one he loved was sleeping under the same roof that he was.

He laid back in his bed and covered up. How could he sleep? He sighed and tried to calm himself. He turned over and closed his eyes.

After a few hours of tossing and turning, Fuji got up. He quietly opened his door and tiptoed into the kitchen. He got a glass down from the cupboard and fixed him a glass of water. He turned and leaned against the counter and glanced into the livingroom and slowly lowered his glass down on the counter.

He walked over to Ryoma and sat down on the bed beside him and watched him sleep. He smiled softly and reached over and caressed his cheek softly. "I love you." he whispered. He bent over slowly, soundlessly so he wouldn't wake Ryoma. He caressed Ryoma's lip with his thumb before gently leaned down and kissed his lips. He felt a rush go through his body. It was everything he dreamed it was. He pulled back reluctatnly and sighed.

He then went over to the other side of the bed and laid down beside Ryoma. Now Ryoma's back was to him. He slid in slowly and carefully. He wrapped his arm gently around Ryoma's waist and sighed softly. He felt bad for sneaking around Ryoma while he slept, but he couldn't hold it back anymore, he needed his touch. "I love you...I love you." he whispered.

He fell asleep there behind Ryoma. He smiled in his sleep, he was truely happy at this moment.

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><p><strong>Thank you guys for reading! This is a long chapter . I hope you will review! Please REVIEW! THANK YOU BUDDIES :D Once again sorry for not updating sooner! I miss your reviews!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh dear! It has been almost a year since I have updated this story! I AM SO SORRY! I hope you guys aren't to angry. *hides in fear* B-but I'm here now so...here you go :D I know you guys were going crazy for the next chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

Chapter 13

Ryoma stirred in his sleep. He turned over and rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Are you awake?" Fuji called from the kitchen. He walked into the living room carrying two cups of orange juice. "If you would have slept any later, you would have been late getting to your class."

Ryoma glanced over on the clock on the wall. "It is pretty late." he muttered and took the glass when Fuji offered it to him.

Fuji smiled. "Did you sleep well? It sure did sound like it. You practically snored all night." he chuckled.

Ryoma dipped his head down to hide his slight embarrassment. "Uh, yeah. I slept good". He looked up and sighed. "I should get going soon. I have to stop by the apartment for clothes." he said, sitting his cup down on the coffee table.

Fuji nodded. "You could always borrow some of mine, to save you some time I mean." he suggested. He left the room for a few minutes, only to return with a pair of pants and a shirt. He handed them to Ryoma.

"They should fit, they were mine in high school. You have grown up in body size a bit, so you should fit them now." he said.

Ryoma nodded and smiled slightly. "Thanks." he said. He then left for the bathroom to get dressed. As he was dressing, he glanced down at his leg. His scar was lighter now, but the pain from his fall down the stairs still hurt. He finished dressing and then left the bathroom.

Fuji was picking up his bag for school and throwing it over his shoulder. "Want to walk together?" he asked.

Ryoma shrugged. "Sure." he said and walked out the front door. He waited at the top of the stairs and applied pressure to his leg. It didn't hurt as bad as it did after he fell, but it was still an irritation in it. He smiled, at least it wasn't broken.

Fuji noticed Ryoma testing out his leg. "It's great that you are able to walk on it still." he said.

Ryoma shrugged. "Yeah, I tested it out last night with a match. My dad helped me out. I was sore, so I lost." he mumbled.

Fuji chuckled. "Hang in there, you'll beat him again." he said, edging Ryoma forward and down the stairs.

On their way to the University, they made small talk. They just talked about a good training menu for him to use to stabilize his leg more.

Once they arrived at the university they spotted Tezuka walking inside the gates. Fuji glanced at Ryoma before calling out to Tezuka.

Tezuka looked to Fuji and then to Ryoma. He changed directions and walked towards them.

"Tezuka, want to have a match, like old times during free time?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma swallowed hard and glanced at Fuji, hoping he wasn't meaning for him to play against Tezuka.

Fuji saw Ryoma's discomfort and chuckled. "It's alright." he whispered to Ryoma softly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Tezuka nodded. "Let's meet in court A during free time." he said and headed to class.

Fuji turned towards Ryoma. "Well, I have to get to class, I will meet you during free time." he said and smiled and waved as he walked off.

Ryoma stared after Fuji. He couldn't believe Fuji set him up. He wasn't even sure if he was ready to face off against Tezuka.

He sighed and grumbled and turned into the gate entrance. He slightly felt like he was being watched. As he glanced around, he noticed that he was in fact being watched. He was being watched by Laura. The woman who caused his fall yesterday. He growled inwardly and headed to class as fast as possible.

He mumbled and walked out onto the soccer field. He was to help coach soccer again today for his class. He walked over to the talking teachers.

"Hey there Ryou, glad to see you are alright. Heard about your fall down the stairs yesterday. Are you alright, no injuries?"Tama-sensei asked.

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." he said and turned towards the ladies of the soccer team. He looked around at them.

Izumi and Meiko walked up to Ryoma. "What are we doing today, Ryou-sensei?" Izumi asked.

Meiko figeted and glanced up at Ryoma. "H-hey." she whispered. It wasn't like her to be shy. But for some reason she felt herself being drawn towards Meiko.

Ryoma looked down at his clipboard that Tama-sensei had given him. "We are going to be doing five-on-five matches. Team up and tell me the names of the people in your group. First we are going to warm up." he said.

The girls on the team nodded and began stretching along with Ryoma. They did their sit stretches, and then they went and jogged for two minutes.

Ryoma watched as the girls finished their last lap. "Alright, now let's start." he said to them.

"The following are on the green team, Yuuri, Meiko, Izumi, Sayori, Nanami." he began, "on the blue team there is, Keiko, Hiyoi, Hachiko, Jyuri, and Aoi." he said.

The girls nodded and headed towards their mini-field and got into their positions. Meiko and Izumi glared at each other. They were natural rivals, and now that Ryoma stepped into the picture, they were love rivals as well. Ryoma raised a brow as he watched them scowl at each other. He sighed and shook his head.

Ryoma grabbed his whistle and held it to his lips. "Alright, get ready." he began. "Go!" he said and blew the whistle.

He glanced over at Tezuka, who still had the same schedule as him. He smirked as he watched him working them hard. _'Just like, Tezuka-sempai.'_ he thought.

He turned back to his own team and then smiled a little at their progress. Even though Izumi and Meiko didn't approve of each other, they still played well together.

Ryoma turned his head, he saw a glimpse of yellow sitting in the stadium seats. His smile fell and he clenched his fist. He couldn't stand it anymore, he was getting sick of being followed around by this american woman. He knew what he had to do, and it was about time he did it. He'd settle it after this class ended.

Laura smirked, knowing that she was going to be seeing Ryoma after class, she could tell by the look in his eyes. She continued to watch Ryoma as directed moves out to the girls.

Ryoma pretended that Laura wasn't there while he kept he going with his own thing. He sighed and gave the girls some credit where it was due.

Tezuka glanced over at Laura. _'It's her...again.'_ he thought. He was getting irritated as well, watching that woman stalk Ryoma. He looked at Ryoma, wondering what the small moment of eye contact between the woman and him meant.

Ryoma finally called it quits for the day and let the girls go to the showers. He sighed and turned the clipboard in to Tama-sensei.

"Good work Ryou, Tezuka. You two did great today. You guys are really getting them ladies and gentlemen into shape." he said. "I guess I'm getting to old for it." he sighed. He waved to them as he turned and left.

Tezuka stayed behind and turned to Ryoma. He noticed that Ryoma was staring at the blonde woman, and the blonde woman was grinning and staring back at him. "Echizen...do you want to go to lunch now?" he asked, trying to direct Ryoma's attention away from the woman who is clearly bothering him deeply.

Ryoma turned to Tezuka, confusion in his eyes. "No, I have to take care of something." he said and turned and started walking towards Laura.

"Echizen, you don't have to do this. We can turn her in to the police." he said.

Ryoma stopped walking. It was a few moments before Ryoma looked over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

Tezuka's eyes widened and then relaxed. He turned and walked away, smiling slightly. _'It would seem that worry is not needed anymore...well done Fuji.'_ he thought and headed towards the lunch hall.

Laura got down from her seat and then walked towards Ryoma, her highheels clanging on the track on her way towards him.

Ryoma approached her and they both stopped a few feet from each other. He stared at her, determination and mystery heavy in his eyes.

Laura smirked. "It's about time, Echizen Ryoma. I thought you'd never come to me." she sneered.

Ryoma said nothing as he stared at her. He smirked and then opened his mouth to speak.

**Thank you so much for reading~! This story doesn't have to much to go before it's done~! Haha! I would like it so much if you guys would REVIEW! If I get a good amount of reviews, I will post the next chapter REALLY REALLY FAST! I am sorry I made you guys wait this long!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello again everyone! Sorry it has taken me this long to update, I recently moved and have been mixed with other things~! Anyway, this probably won't be a long chapter. I have a brace on my hand and it's difficult to type! But I will do as much as I can~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

Ryoma said nothing as he stared at her. He smirked and then opened his mouth to speak.

"You know...you've proven to be quite a nusiance to me." he muttered, shifting a little.

Laura smiled a sweet and wicked smile. "Now Ryoma, you only brought it on yourself." she giggled.

Ryoma frowned. "You're beginning to irritate me, lady." he said, his voice darkening. "You've been bothering my friends, and my family."

Laura crossed her arms. "Haven't you firgured it out Ryoma?" she said with another wicked smile. "I'll do anything to get what I want." she whispered.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "What exactly do you want?" he asked her angrily.

Laura chuckled lightly. "I want an interview, on television. I want you to tell the world your intentions." she said.

Ryoma frowned more deeply. "What would you get from this?" he asked.

Laura smiled. "Of course, the best story." she whispered.

Ryoma's anger flared high. "Is that all I am to you? Some story you can put down in your journal? Does it feel good to step on others to reach the top?! Do you not have any morals?" he hissed. "Let me tell you something, I didn't make it to the top of my career by stepping on people, and I sure as hell didn't do it for fame."

Laura flinched at the sudden burst. The usual emotionless Ryoma was actually yelling at her. She was perplexed.

Ryoma glared at Laura. "You want your interview? Fine, but after I do, I better not see your face around me or my friends and family again!" he yelled.

Laura was at a loss for words. "O-of course." she said. "T-then when would you like to set up the interview?" she whispered, a slight tremor in her voice. She has been yelled at by other people she interviewed before, but none of them yelled at her about her morals and career.

Ryoma sighed deeply. "Tomorrow, six o'clock." he muttered reluctantly.

Laura nodded. "Place?" she whispered.

Ryoma turned and started walking away. "My place." he said. "You should know where it is by now."

Laura turned and walked away as well, clutching her notebook to her chest tightly. She smiled, she had finally captured the great Ryoma.

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><p>Fuji was just getting out of class when he spotted Ryoma walking down the hall. He smiled and walked up towards him.<p>

"Hey, how was class?" he asked. He glanced over Ryoma's features and noticed he looked quite stressed out. He frowned a little. "Are you alright?"

Ryoma broke out of his deep thoughts and looked up at Fuji. He nodded. "It was alright." he said as they walked down the hall together.

Fuji nodded." I see." he whispered. He flipped through his notebook as they walked down the hall. "Say...do you have anymore classes for today?" he asked.

Ryoma shook his head. "Nope, I was just heading out." he said. "Why?"he asked, giving Fuji a glance.

Fuji smiled. "Then how about we go back to the secret place?" he asked.

Ryoma paused and then nodded. "Sure." he said.

The two of them walked out of the building and down the road. They made small talk as they walked down the road. When they finally reached the pathway to the secret area, it was almost late afternoon.

Fuji took of his bag and sat down on the grass and stared out over the water. "The water is calm today." he whispered.

Ryoma took of his bag and sat down beside Fuji. He leaned back on his hands and stretched his legs in front of him. "Yeah." he said.

Fuji smiled and glanced over at Ryoma. "Tezuka told me you ran into that reporter lady again."

Ryoma tensed and soon relaxed. "Yeah. Persistant lady." he whispered. He laid back on the grass and closed his eyes.

Fuji looked over Ryoma's body. His stomach tensed and he swallowed. He shifted slightly.

Ryoma had his arm over his eyes when he heard Fuji move around. He opened his eyes and was startled by what he saw. He gulped and looked directly up at Fuji, eye to eye.

Fuji was overtop of Ryoma on all fours. His hands on either side of Ryoma's head and his legs the same way over Ryoma's legs.

"I can't stand it...that woman is trying to pry into you...she's trying to do something that I haven't been able to attempt yet." Fuji whispered. His blue eyes were looking deeply into Ryoma's. "Don't show this worried expression to anyone else but me...don't smile for anyone else but me...look only at me, Ryoma. If you don't, I fear I might lose control." he whispered.

Ryoma's breathing almost stopped. He could feel Fuji's breath on his face, he could smell his light cologne. It smelled...wondeful to him. He felt heat rise to his cheeks. He couldn't find words, so he only nodded.

Fuji smiled and leaned down closer, their chests pressing against each others. He looked into Ryoma's eyes before slowly pressing his lips to Ryoma's. He kissed him tenderly, wrapping his arms around his waist in the process.

Ryoma's eyes widdened at the kiss. He felt himself relax and let go. He he reached up and wrapped his arms around Fuji's waist and found himself kissing him back. It felt amazing, hot, and like the ultimate thrill.

Fuji finally pulled away and smiled softly. "It's late. I'll walk home with you." he whispered.

Ryoma nodded and then felt sad when Fuji pulled away. "Ah...alright." he whispered.

Fuji smirked at the clear dissapointment on Ryoma's face. '_Not yet...Ryoma...I want to tease you with it before I let you taste it.'_ he thought.

Ryoma put on his bag and then they both left. When they got there, he looked at Fuji. "Ah, thanks." he whispered.

Fuji nodded. "The pleasure was mine. Goodnight...Ryoma." he said, a seductive smile on his face.

Ryoma nodded and then turned to walk in the house but was caught from behind.

"You're forgetting something...Ryoma." Fuji whispered in his ear, his hot breath sending shocks through Ryoma's body.

Ryoma swallowed. "What is it?" he whispered. A slight shiver ran through him.

Fuji smiled and turned Ryoma around and pushed him against the wall of the apartment gently. He chuckled and then leaned in and kissed him lightly. He smiled when he felt Ryoma kiss him back. He then pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow." he whispered.

Ryoma was still standing there after Fuji had left, in a complete daze. He finally came back to reality and then unlocked his door and went inside. He slumped down on the couch in a haze. His interview with Laura was nowhere in his mind. The only thing he could think of...was how bad he wanted Fuji.

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><p><strong>Well that's it for this chapter~! I know it's not that long, but I figured it's something~! This fic is close to its ending! WOOT! :D I hope to get some good reviews from you guys!Hehe A little Fuji and Ryoma action there eh? hehehe Next chapter is coming soon~!<strong>


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